Named from the raw material used to make linen in the Ardoyne Royal Damask Works opened 1825 by Michael Andrews on Crumlin Road, and in other factories nearby. The Royal Damask Manufactory was asked to display linen for Queen Victoria’s visit to Belfast in August 1849 and Michael Andrews’ linen was mentioned “for excellence” at the Great Exhibition of 1851, held in Hyde Park, London.
Flax was a widely grown crop in the northern half of Ireland in the 18th and 19th centuries. Its botanical name is Linum usitatissimum. Linum is the origin of the words linseed and linen. Believe it or not, it is also the origin of the simple word line, because the long, thin strands of flax were the epitome of anything straight. Usitatissimum means “very common”, reflecting the fact that flax is so widely grown. As well as linen manufacture, it is also used to make linseed oil, which can be used as a food supplement and to give a good finish to wood.
Flax Street features in The Belfast And Province Of Ulster Directory 1877.