Category: Wool

Of Interest: Cecilia Vicuña Exhibition at IMMA – Galway Wool via Woolstore Ireland

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Poster from IMMA for Cecilia Vicuña exhibition

Cecilia Vicuña‘s solo exhibition, ‘Reverse Migration: A Poetic Journey’, is the first show in Ireland by the renowned artist, poet and activist. For this exhibition at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA), Vicuña delves into themes of ancestry, ecological urgency, and the interconnectedness of humanity, inspired by the discovery of her ancient ties to Ireland.

Feltmakers Ireland guild member Katarina Hruskova, of WoolStore Ireland, assisted the artist in preparing the wool used in the creation of the installation, titled ‘Aran Quipu’.

Placard from the gallery wall.

Photos of the Piece, ‘Aran Quipu’

In her Co Galway workshop, Katarina washed and carded 50 kilograms of wool, which she purchased from the Galway Wool Co-op at their annual Meitheal. Then she needle-felted the clean fibre by hand into 50 strips, each 5.5 metres long. As Cecilia Vicuña wanted the strips to be very fluffy, hand needle felting was the method. Altogether, it came to 275 metres of Galway wool. The entire process from start (washing) to finish took Katarina 6-7 weeks to complete.

The Galway Wool, after being cleaned and carded

Needle Felting

The wool fibres were then needle felted.
Further along, with more fibres added in.
Loading the trailer with the felted wool.
More wool.
Unloading at IMMA

At IMMA, the long strips were then mounted, with assistance from other Irish artists, in a large hall.

Katarina Hruskova and artist Cecilia Vicuña at the opening
Katarina and her partner Keith

Katarina said that at the opening, visitors were encouraged to walk between the strips. Editor’s Note: On a recent visit, a museum attendant encouraged attendees to touch a sample of needle-felted Galway Wool.

In addition to the installation incorporating Irish wool, the exhibition includes other installations featuring natural materials such as plants and shells, along with paintings, drawings, and sound art by Vicuña.

The exhibition runs until the 5th of July, 2026.

Where: IMMA, Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Military Rd, Kilmainham, Dublin 8, D08 FW31

For more information about Cecilia Vicuna’s exhibition, visit the IMMA’s website – https://imma.ie/whats-on/cecilia-vicuna/

Katarina has a display showing the stages of wool processing.

To purchase cleaned and carded Galway wool fibre (and those from other Irish-raised breeds), visit Katarina’s website – https://www.woolstore.ie/

Katarina’s Instagram: @woolstoreireland

Of Interest: Wool March in Tilburg, Netherlands – the 20th of December

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On Saturday, the 20th of December at noon, there will be a Wool March in Tilburg, Netherlands.

The Wool March is a growing movement that supports shepherding and the revaluing of wool by literally walking together. Each year, the organisers lead a march in which local shepherds guide their flocks—along with members of the public—to and from pasture. Past editions have been held in Tilburg, The Netherlands, and have been generously hosted by the TextielMuseum, which is an inspiring destination in itself. https://www.textielmuseum.nl/

Participants and supporters of the Wool March come from all walks of life, including farmers, felters, and fashion designers, as well as politicians, breeders, and biologists.

There will also be a Wool March to the European Parliament in September 2026. The group is selling ‘Wool Activist Kits’ that include felting instructions and raw Kempische Heideschaap fibre from sheep that graze the Dutch coastal dunes. These kits are to create a blanket to be worn (or sent) to the Brussels Wool March – https://www.woolmarch.com/wool-activist-kit

For more information and to register for the Wool March in December, visit the Wool March website – https://www.woolmarch.com/lets-walk/wool-march-tilburg-2025

Their Instagram: @woolmarch


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Of Interest: Irish Wool Series on Nationwide – 3rd Programme – Member Karena Ryan Featured

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Karena Ryan during the filming at the Galway Wool Co-op’s Meitheal at Athenry, Co Galway

The third and final episode about Irish Wool is available on Nationwide via the RTÉ Player. Feltmakers Ireland guild member Karena Ryan is featured in the second section, just after the break.


Monday, 24th November: https://lnkd.in/eE-84Kce

Wednesday, 26th November: https://lnkd.in/eXJUYEJV

Friday, 28th November: https://lnkd.in/e2kZR5Uk

A piece by guild member @tamzenlundydesigns can be spotted in the section intro:


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Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.

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Of Interest: A New Fleece for Life – Presentation – TONIGHT – Co Wicklow

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Weaving Wicklow’s Sheep Wool Heritage into a Sustainable Future.

Join Wicklow Uplands Council for an audio-visual presentation and discussion exploring how Wicklow’s wool heritage can help shape a more sustainable future.

Hear insights from a National Parks & Wildlife Service Conservation Ranger and from Pat Byrne (Circular BioEconomy expert) as they look at how heritage, ecology, and innovation can work together to strengthen Ireland’s wool industry — and influence policy for real change.

Guild member Sharon Wells will be there with some of her recent community-felted sculptures.

Come join the discussion.

Free event — all welcome! But please register: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/weaving-wicklows-sheep-wool-heritage-into-a-sustainable-future-tickets-1856519783649?aff=oddtdtcreator

Their Instagram: @wicklowuplands

Editor’s Note: Apologies for the last-minute announcement; we only learned about the event yesterday.

Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog

Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.

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Event: Fibreshed Ireland Symposium 2025

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On Friday, 21st November, Fibreshed Ireland will gather at The Richmond Education and Event Centre, Smithfield, from 10 AM to 4:30 PM to hear from a diverse range of growers and practitioners who work in line with Soil-to-Soil principles of circularity, compostability, and agroecology.

They are the following:

  • Jennifer & Tristan Lienhard of @appleoakfibreworks
  • Katarina Hruskova of @woolstoreireland (Katarina is a member of Feltmakers Ireland)
  • @kathykirwan_theartofnature of the Flax 405 project
  • Mary Ann Williams, editor of @textilesofireland
  • Michelle McCabe, researcher exploring the connections between textile craft and wellbeing with ATU Sligo
  • @ryankoenigstudio — 16th-century textile archaeology
  • Sarah Babiker — Threads of Story: Woolcraft a Language & Memory between Ireland and the Arab World

On Saturday, there will be an open day of craft demonstrations, workshops, shopping opportunities, and community building at Richmond Barracks, Inchicore, from 10 AM to 3:30 PM. Admission to the demonstrations and shopping is free, but each workshop will be ticketed.

  • Upcycling workshop with Eimear Greaney (@upsew.ie), from 10 AM to 12:00 PM
  • Aran knitting with @ryankoenigstudio, from 10 AM to 12:00 PM
  • Weaving Circle with Lucy Hyland (@ourselfcarerevolution), from 1 to 3 PM
  • Movement session for crafters with @aideen.macken, from 3:30 – 4:10 (FREE, with optional donations to support Fibreshed Ireland’s work)


Dublin (different venues each day)
Optional social dinner in @fidelitydublin on Friday, the 22nd of November (book at checkout)

Discounts for students and Fibreshed Ireland members!

For more information and to reserve tickets, visit their website – https://fibreshedireland.ie/symposium-2025/

This event is part of Irish Design Week, partly funded by the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland. https://www.dcci.ie/whats-on/irish-design-week-2025/

Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog

Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.

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Questions: For content-related questions, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.

Of Interest: Research on Irish Wool

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Neither of these articles is new, but it is interesting to see how scientists and students are researching ways to utilise and process Irish wool so that it does not continue to be a waste product.

Regenerative Value Systems for Irish Grown Wool in Ireland (REVEIRE) Funded

University College of Cork announced that researcher Dr Archishman Bose’s three-year project, Regenerative Value Systems for Irish Grown Wool in Ireland (REVEIRE), received funding of €657,403.  

The project will conduct a comprehensive sustainability assessment of Irish-grown wool, including the value created by a scouring facility within Ireland.

“Irish wool, typically characterised as ‘strong wool’, can have wide applications in textiles, packaging, environmental, and high-value materials. This project, by undertaking a comprehensive sustainability assessment of Irish grown wool, will provide data and evidence to inform Government policies, initiatives and investments required for regenerating the Irish grown wool industry for a sustainable circular bioeconomy.”

Information about Dr Bose’s research is towards the bottom of the page – https://www.ucc.ie/en/news/2025/ucc-researchers-awarded-23m-for-new-research-to-address-climate-and-environmental-challenges.html

For more information and an interview with Dr Bose, there is the interesting article in Farmers’ Journal – https://www.farmersjournal.ie/new-project-to-examine-irish-wool-and-scouring-860269

Student Research

In January, Transition Year students from Co Sligo were awarded for their research on how sheep wool can be used in the concrete industry as a strengthening material.

Typically, polypropylene is used to prevent cracks in concrete; however, the students discovered that concrete mixed with wool surpassed polypropylene in both durability and strength.

Their project was inspired by the students’ experiences of not being able to sell wool from their family farm. Aoife Fadian states, “It is selling at about 10c/kg, even if it’s selling at all. Farmers all around Ireland are really struggling with what to do with it.”

To read about their inspiring project, visit this page on the Agriland website – https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/sligo-students-to-take-sheep-wool-and-concrete-project-large-scale/


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Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.

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Event: The 5th Annual European Wool Day – Member Sharon Wells is Presenting in Rome

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The 5th European Wool Day will be celebrated on Sunday, the 6th of April, from 10 AM to 5 PM CEST at I Casali del Pino in Rome, Italy. The event will also be live-streamed on EWE’s YouTube channel – https://www.youtube.com/@ewefoundation-europeanwool255

The event will feature presentations, demonstrations, and interactive workshops led by wool enthusiasts from across Europe. Attendees of all ages can explore various wool-related activities, including washing, dyeing, spinning, felting, crochet, weaving, and even painting with wool, while learning about best practices and creative techniques.

Feltmakers Ireland member Sharon Wells will be in Rome to present her experiences of recovering from trauma in her talk ‘Healing through Wool,’ at 11 AM. Additionally, she will facilitate a European landscape textile workshop to be created by representatives of EWE member countries.

To see the event’s complete program, visit their website: https://www.ewe.network/european-wool-day-2025

Their Instagram – @ewe_foundation_

Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog

Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.

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Of Interest: Two Artists’ Residencies with the Galway Wool Co-op – Exhibition this Saturday

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‘Learning Old Tricks from Ancient Sheep’ is a one-day exhibition of two designers’ residencies with the Galway Wool Co-op.

Fabienne Rako and Annika Joachim invite you to their exhibition ‘Learning Old Tricks from Ancient Sheep’, which they are presenting in cooperation with the Galway Wool Co-Op. Together with Galway Wool, they aim to elaborate on the various applications in which all parts of the sheep’s wool can be properly utilised.

Within their two-week residency with the Co-op, they explored the potential of noil, a short fibre by-product of worsted spinning, to create unique, textured garments. Their work will showcase noil’s potential beyond waste, transforming it into high-quality, contemporary Irish textiles.

Where: O’Donoghue Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance, Galway
When: Saturday, the 1st of March 2025, from 1:00 – 8:00 PM

For more information – see the Co-op’s Instagram post; @thegalwaywoolco_op

@fabienne_rko

@annikajoachim


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Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.

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Of Interest: Donegal Tweed and Yarns – Innovation, Sustainability and Looking to the Future – Presented by IGWC

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On Monday, the 20th of January, the Irish Grown Wool Council (IGWC) is hosting a panel discussion on how Donegal is taking its wool heritage into exciting new directions. From the quest for Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status for Donegal Tweed, to the growing demand for sustainable, innovative uses of Irish grown wool, discover how local businesses are blending tradition with forward-thinking ideas.

Time: 3:30PM – 4:15PM

For more information, visit their website – https://irishgrownwoolcouncil.com/irish-grown-wool-council-panel-talk-at-showcase-2025/

Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog

Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.

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Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.

News: Irish Wool in the News – Galway Co-op and Woolin Schools

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The Galway Wool Co-op won a prestigious EU Award, and the founder of Woolin Schools, Lorna McCormack, spoke at the International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO) in Turkey.

Galway Wool Co-op

The Galway Wool Co-op received recognition as a ‘Highly Commended Project’ at the EU CAP Network’s Agricultural and Rural Inspiration Awards (ARIA) 2024, held in Brussels.

Now in its sixth year, the ARIA awards celebrate European projects that exemplify best practices within the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) framework, focusing on sustainability, innovation, social inclusion, and resilience. Artist and curator Michelle Hickey Legge received the award on behalf of the Co-op.

For further information, read the full article on Agriland – https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/galway-wool-co-op-wins-prestigious-eu-award/

Lorna McCormack of Woolin Schools

In December, the International Wool Textile Organisations‘ (IWTO) annual Wool Round Table convened the global wool textile industry in Istanbul, fostering networking and knowledge exchange.  More than 80 attendees represented the wool industries of 26 countries. 

The event featured key sessions on Wool Market Intelligence, Wools of Europe, Wool Education and Advocacy, and Sustainability. Lorna McCormack, founder of Woolin Schools, joined Matthew J. Rowe of Campaign for Wool Canada and Peter Ackroyd of Campaign for Wool to discuss wool education and advocacy.

For more information about the event, visit the Woolin School website – https://woolinschool.com/news/f/iwto-round-table-2024

Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog

Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.

Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.

Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.