Baird McNutt Irish Linen

Although I live overseas now I grew up in the area and was recently back visiting my family and decided that I wanted to buy some Northern Irish linen as a present for some friends back in Australia.
I found Baird McNutt's website and simply turned up at the factory one day - and I had such a good time that I went back a few days later and bought some more.
We were looked after by Wilson on both our visits and he was very patient and helpful - when we found material that we wanted he would immediately hunt around the 'off-cuts' section to see if it was available there - at a significantly cheaper price than buying 'off the roll'.
I would have no problem in recommending a visit here - to get access to the shop you just go to reception, sign in and the reception staff will then walk you down to the shop, which is actually inside the factory itself so you walk past all the machinery that un-stretches, dyed and finishes the line. If you are lucky they will give you a quick unofficial guided tour of the factory on the way. The staff, especially Wilson, is very knowledgeable about linen and the processes that they use to finish it. Note that this is not a linen mill - that grow and process flax into linen - This is done at a different location, they simply finish off the linen at this site.
Here are a few things to bear in mind about visiting the shop here:
1) This is a factory that produces linen for clothes and furnishings so the cloth ia available to buy by the metre - it doesn't sell bed linen, so if you want bed sheets/pillowcases etc. then this is not the place to come.
2) There is a vast array of cloth available to buy in all colours, weaves, weights and finishes and it not presented like a retail shop - so it is not a place that you come and browse easily. I was like a kid in a sweety shop on my first visit, I didn't know where to start. On my second visit I was a bit more organised and did some research on the cloth that I wanted - colour, weave, weight etc. Wilson was very helpful in helping me to choose between the different weights of material that I should buy for dresses, shirts, heavy jackets etc. - but I would suggest that you do a lot of research and know what you want - and how much you need - before you get there. If you have any questions the best thing to do is to simply email them before you get there - I found them to be very responsive and helpful.
3) The vast majority of cloth available is 1.5 m wide - which is important when deciding how much you need.
4) As mentioned above there are also 'off-cuts' and 'end of rolls' available if you are looking for smaller amounts of cloth (less than 5 m). The material I bought 'off the roll' ranged from GBP8-12 a metre, with some of the 'off-cuts' costing me less than GBP5 a metre, so its worth taking your time.
5) Pay in cash - don't use your credit card trust me you will be a lot happier if you pay in cash.
6) Don't be afraid to ask for something that you cant see - there are piles of material everywhere and Wilson always seems to know where everything is.
7) The shop is open from about 8am-6pm, Monday to Friday - avoid visiting at lunch time (12.30-1pm) or on Fridays (the factory is at its most busiest then) if you can - if you can't you will still get a warm welcome.
8) They also have an online shop on their website - but its not as much fun or as interesting as visiting the factory in person. Note that on the website there will be a link to "where to buy' that sends you to a website for 'J.Hanna' for the online shop - its a bit confusing, but this is actually the shop at the factory so don't be confused. It is the same place.
Next time I come to Northern Ireland I will be bringing a bigger suitcase - maybe even an empty one and filling it up here.

My wife was looking to get some real Irish linen on our trip to Northern Ireland. She has corresponded with Clifford at Baird McNutt Irish Linen a few times, and he agreed to meet us on a day the factory is typically closed to the public, since that was the only day that we would be in the area. He allowed her to pick out exactly what she wanted and even helped us fold it down to a size that would fit in a suitcase. What she found was exactly what she had hoped for. And to make it just perfect, the value was outstanding. She said that in the US, she was only able to get inferior linen from elsewhere. And it was three times the cost of the wonderful linen she found here. The quality of Baird McNutt linen is outstanding, the selection is vast, and Clifford’s service was top notch. She now has a full suitcase and I have a very happy wife. What more can I say?