Belleek porcelain was first made in County Fermanagh, Ireland in the year of 1857. Simply said, it is a thin and ivory-colored, iridescent porcelain in many different shapes and patterns. Limpet, Tridacna, and Grasses are just a few of the patterns. However, Shamrock is the most popular.
In 1849, when Captain John Caldwell Bloomfield inherited his father’s estate, which was called Castle Caldwell estate. The village of Belleek accompanied the estate. He was concerned about his tenants, due to the Great Potato Famine in 1845. Surveying his land to determine land to determine its potential for minerals and employment, he discovered kaolin, feldspar, flint, clay, shale, peat, power, and trainable labor, which all make up the important ingredients to make pottery. Bloomfield and a man named Armstrong founded a pottery business, helping to employ those affected by the potato famine.
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By 1884, all the original owners had died. A local group of investors took over, naming the company, The Belleek Pottery Works Company, Ltd.
Belleek porcelain was produced continuously until World War I, when the war contrubuted to a long hiatus. The business has since revived under new ownership and is a thriving business today.
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