Recap AGM: Looking Back and Looking Forward – Plus Guest Speaker, Zoë Daly of Èriu Farm

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland
A woman in a cream sweater gesturing expressively while seated at a table, engaged in conversation.
Zoë Daly of Èriu Farm
A woman with wavy brown hair wearing a light knitted sweater, seated at a table, gesturing with her hands while speaking.
She shared how she became an advocate of Irish Wool

On Sunday, the 10th of May 2026, Feltmakers Ireland held its Annual General Meeting (AGM). The meeting began with an engaging talk by our guest speaker, Zoë Daly of Èriu, who captivated attendees with the personal story of how a gifted baby blanket inspired her journey to becoming an advocate for Irish wool and yarn production.

Zoë spoke about the development of their Farm-to-Yarn wool and fibre enterprise, outlining both the opportunities and the challenges facing the Irish wool industry. She discussed the decline of fibre and yarn processing infrastructure in Ireland, reflecting a wider trend seen across Europe, and highlighted the long-term impact of the loss of local processing facilities. She reflected on how Ireland’s colonial history influenced attitudes towards wool and textile production and addressed the current EU policy on wool classification and the potential benefits of recognising wool not as a waste product, but as a sustainable agricultural resource.

The talk was both informative and inspiring, and generated great enthusiasm amongst members, particularly around the possibility of organising a future visit to the farm.

Fibre to Purchase

Zoë and her husband, Wicklow farmer Lionel Mackey, brought lots of yummy Bluefaced Leicester/Romney-blend fibre for members to purchase. One can also purchase their dyed and undyed fibre via their website – https://eriu.eu/collections/eriu-fiber-elements

A table displaying various colourful bundles of wool or fibre, along with informational brochures and a map. The setting appears to be a craft fair or workshop environment.
Display table of Èriu Wool and Yarn
A flat lay of yarn in various colours alongside a product brochure for Ériu Elements, showcasing different types of Irish wool, with a price list and contact information visible.
Colourways of their Elements Line of Yarn and Wool
A display of various coloured wool roving, including blue, grey, and orange, on a white tablecloth, with packs of yarn in the background.
Beautiful Farm to Yarn fibre from Èriu

Editor’s Note: Eriu’s undyed Romney was among the fibres we distributed to our members to encourage them to create felted artwork with Irish Wool for an exhibition at the European Wool Experience in Tralee. The Design and Crafts Council of Ireland generously provided funding for this project.

Editor’s Note: Zoë mentioned an informative book on European wool by Betty Stikkers. We found it online as a PDF – (click on the image of the book to launch the PDF) – https://www.europeanwoolassociation.org/seite/613818

The AGM

After Zoe’s talk came the business of the AGM. Our chair, Deirdre Carroll, shared the many amazing accomplishments of the past year. In addition to our annual exhibition at the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre, we were part of a high-profile joint exhibition at the National Design and Craft Gallery in Kilkenny. Amongst the highlights is that we now have over 170 members and that our book, ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking‘, is now available in over 30 public libraries throughout Ireland. Editor’s Note: If you would like to borrow the book, you can request it to come to your local library through the Libraries Ireland website – https://www.librariesireland.ie/

Next, our Secretary, Lorna Cady, shared our exciting upcoming activities for the coming year. (Some of these events can be found under the Events Page on our website.

Finally, our Treasurer, Sam (Samantha) Fagan, shared an update on the finances.

A person sitting at a table reading from a piece of paper, wearing a white shirt and a blue scarf, with a microphone in front of them.
Chairperson, Deirdre Carroll
A woman with shoulder-length blond hair, wearing glasses and a black outfit, sits at a table reading a document while smiling. A green pen is placed on the table next to her.
Secretary, Lorna Cady
A woman with long hair, wearing a cream and blue sweater, sits at a table reading a document while holding a sunflower.
Treasurer, Sam Fagan

Election of Chair and Committee 2026/2027

After serving three years as our chair, Deirdre Carroll is stepping down. Events Coordinator Loli Cox is also stepping down from her position. Elizabeth Redding was duly approved as Chairperson for the upcoming term.

The Committee also voted to appoint Lucia Errity as a new Committee member. In addition, feedback from the Members’ Survey indicated that several other members are interested in becoming involved and supporting the Committee’s work. We will be contacting those members in the coming days.

The Bursary Award

Since 2021, Feltmakers Ireland has offered a bursary. This award grants one lucky member 250 euros to go towards the payment of a textile workshop of their choice. The course can be in-person or online. Afterwards, the member shares their experience via a brief write-up and some photographs.

Last year’s bursary was awarded to Hilary Delaney, whose stimulating experience of ecoprinting was recently featured on the blog. https://feltmakersireland.com/2026/05/07/news-bursary-awarded-to-hilary-delaney-botanical-printing-with-gabrielle-bishop-at-mulranny-arts/

This year’s awardee is guild member Elizabeth O’Connor. We cannot wait to see what she explores!

Artwork Displayed

Members were encouraged to share their felted artwork to display and/or sell, and a few accepted the invitation. Amongst the members who shared work were Elizabeth Redding, Fiona Leech, and Annika Berglund.

A display of handmade felt items including colourful pouches, miniature animals, and decorative pieces on a black table.
Elizabeth’s work
A display of handmade felt items on a black table. Includes colourful felt bowls, handbags, and accessories, with a sign that reads 'felt at home'.
Fiona’s work
A display of handmade felt jewellery including necklaces and earrings in vibrant colours like purple, orange, and black, along with a red felt handbag, set on a black table cloth.
Annika’s work
A display of handmade felted items on a black table, including various decorative bowls, wall hangings depicting landscapes, and small felted animals like a bear and a snail.
Table with felted artworks
A woman in a blue sweater stands in a hall, pointing at a colourful hanging mobile made of spiral-shaped elements in green, orange, and yellow.
Hélène Dooley is holding Elizabeth’s spiral.

Editor’s Note: Guild member Hélène Dooley teaches the Hanging Spiral Workshop here – https://feltingandfiberstudio.com/classes/hanging-felted-spiral/

Refreshments

Of course, there were several delicious cakes courtesy of our members. Included was the Dessert with History from Lorna: This time, she featured a Battenberg Cake!

A table set with various baked goods, including a chocolate cake under a dome, a box of biscuits, a loaf cake, and a tray of slices. There are also drinks, cups, and a sign mentioning the refreshments.
A Battenberg cake displayed on a table, covered with marzipan and marked with pink and yellow squares, alongside a handwritten note detailing its history and significance.

Zoom Access

Two women seated at a table engaging in conversation, with an audience in the background. A laptop displaying a live stream or video conference is positioned in the foreground, alongside various electronic devices and a plastic bag containing items.

For the past couple of years, we have offered Zoom access to the AGM, and we will continue to do so as Dublin is far away for many of our members.

There were just over 30 members at the AGM, with about half of the attendees tuned in via Zoom. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all members who attended in person and via Zoom, and to thank everyone who contributed to making the day such a wonderful gathering.

Editor’s Note: We will endeavour to include more members’ artwork at next year’s AGM – perhaps through an online display.


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