Cladoir Sheep – Feltmakers Ireland

News: Second Annual Fibreshed Ireland Symposium – Resilient, Regional and Reciprocal: How Tradition Can Inform the Future of Irish Textiles

Published on Oct 31, 2023Oct 31, 2023 by Feltmakers Ireland

Join Fibreshed Ireland’s second annual symposium, which will look at the past to inform the future of soil-to-soil textiles.

Through a programme of presentations, craft demonstrations, breakout sessions and informal networking opportunities, members and friends of Fibreshed Ireland are invited to explore the history and tradition of Irish textiles.

The presentations – which will be accompanied by handspinning demonstrations – include The tradition of Irish lacemaking; The history, importance and future of the Cladóir sheep; Flax and folklore; among others. We will finish with an interactive session looking ahead at the future.

When: The 17th of November, 2023. The event is part of Design Week Ireland.

For more information, visit their Fibershed Ireland’s website – https://fibreshedireland.ie/projects/symposium-2023/

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FYI: Cladóir Sheep Featured in Irish Times

Published on Jul 24, 2023Jul 23, 2023 by Feltmakers Ireland

Recently, the Irish Times had a fantastic article about the revival of Cladóir sheep, a common Irish breed prior to the Famine. The sheep are small-sized and raised for their wool (versus their meat). The wool is considered to be very fine in quality. There is a lot of exciting information in the article!

A Cladóir lamb. Photograph: Carole Reynolds

Event: Connemara National Park Celebration – July 1st

Published on Jun 29, 2023 by Feltmakers Ireland

Via Suzanna Crampton on the Irish Wool Discussion Group on Facebook –

Connemara National Park will be celebrating its twinning agreement with Terra Nova National Park, Newfoundland, Canada, by undertaking a Heritage Event on Canada Day, the 1st of July 2023.

Among the day’s events is a focus on sheep and wool.

The staff in Connemara National Park have been instrumental in efforts to regenerate the Cladoir breed of sheep which was once found throughout Connemara but was pushed to the brink of extinction in recent years. The Cladoir sheep were known to have had fine wool which could be knitted or woven and was an important reason why the breed survived. To celebrate the importance of the wool for the regeneration of the breed, hand shearing of our Cladoir sheep flock will take place throughout the day, with the wool processed on-site in order to have a finished hand-knitted garment by the end of the day.

Connemara National Park holds a number of Heritage Breeds which include: Connemara Pony; Cladoir sheep; Galway Sheep; Irish Maol Cattle; and Old Irish Goat. A representative of each of these Rare Breeds Societies will be on hand to discuss each breed’s importance.

For more information, please contact the Visitor Centre on 095 41054 or 087 2919721

For a full schedule, visit the website – https://www.nationalparks.ie/connemara/special-heritage-event-on-july-1st-2023/