A Romance with Irish Tweed

Sporting my favorite Magee Donegal Mist Tweed Sport Coat (note the raft of them on the rack over my shoulder), pleased to introduce Magee’s Patrick Temple to an admiring crowd at a recent J. Press Headquarters Shop event celebrating our Romance with Irish Tweed.    

In 1969 J. Press store show windows highlighted a portrait of the great Irish playwright headlined, George Bernard Shaw Loves His Irish Tweed.

“So did Frank Sinatra,” I recounted in my tome Threading the Needle—Book I, when he corralled the entire stock of 38 regulars during one of his frequent shopping sprees at our 44th Street Emporium.

Patrick Temple is a member of the Magee founding family however circuitous the thread. The company traces its origins to 1866, when the founder, John Magee (1849–1901), began traveling between local markets trading in cottage industry woven goods produced by Donegal fishermen and farmers. In 1866, he opened a draper shop in Donegal Town. In 1887, Magee hired his cousin, Robert Temple (1866–1958), as an apprentice, after observing the latter's sales acumen enhancing the familial roots of our Donegal speaker and presenter.

Magee has partnered with Donegal Yarns in neighboring Kilcar to source wool from Irish farmers, which is spun into yarn by Donegal Yarns before being woven by Magee. Patrick Temple has collaborated with sheep farmer James Lorinko to improve Donegal wool. In 2021, Magee created a new collection featuring a coat made from the resultant fabric.

Such is a partial history delegating the history of my own treasured Donegal sport coat aside its chest pocket label noting,

Aye, ’tis indeed a long journey from County Donegal home of Ireland’s most northerly point to the 44th Street NYC Ivy Quarters of J. Press bringing to mind an olde Irish toast,

May your troubles be less and your blessings be more.

RICHARD PRESS