Save the Date: The Galway Wool Co-op will host their 6th National Harvest of Irish Wool from Ireland’s native sheep breed. This year, the Meitheal will be open to the public, and all are invited!
When: Saturday, the 18th of July, 10 AM to 12:30 PM
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The Ballymaloe Cookery School has a one-day, in-person course on Heritage Sheep Farming and the Business of Irish Wool.
From the website – “The majority of Irish sweaters are not made with Irish wool, they are just knitted in Ireland- a fact which many people are unaware of. The reason for this is more complex than you may expect; both Blátnaid Gallagher, Founder of the Galway Wool Coop, and Jean Long, Master Hand Knitter, have made it their business to understand why and advocate for a change.
This 1-day course will unpack this issue and invite you to learn from and respect what farmers like Blatnaid and craftspeople like Jean are doing in the restoration of heritage breeds like Galway Sheep and in creating demand within the business of Irish Wool.”
In addition, there will be the following:
Tour of the organic farm, gardens and greenhouses
Hands-on learning through working with Irish Wool and learning the forgotten skill of hand knitting
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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 openingKatarina 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 Galway Wool Co-op will be featured on RTÉ’s Nationwide this Monday, the 24th of November at 19:00 (7 PM).
Learn about the story of Ireland’s native wool, the community, and the wool growers behind it. Galway wool is one of the few native Irish wools, so it is fantastic that it will be in the spotlight.
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Arts Thread — an international online platform that showcases emerging talent in art and design — is hosting its annual Global Creative Graduate Showcase. Among the featured designers is Ireland’s Sarah Dowling, whose innovative work highlights the potential of sustainable, homegrown materials.
Designer Sarah Dowling has created traceable, carbon-free, biodegradable garments made from felted and crocheted Galway Wool and deadstock Irish linen.
Dowling’s work emphasises slow production and the beauty of the craft within the textile history in Ireland. One standout piece, her crochet jumper (Báinín Geansaí), includes a stitch which mimics the knitted Blackberry Aran stitch. This traditional stitch is the only one which cannot be replicated by a machine. Fittingly, crochet can only be done by hand.
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The World Wool Forum will bring together international leaders from the design, fashion, interior, and textile fields, as well as farmers, thinkers, and innovators who are doing inspiring work. This live online session will forecast the future of wool fibres, while preserving sheep husbandry, animal welfare and craft heritage.
When: Sunday, the 19th of October, 14:00 – 19:00 Rome CET (13:00 – 18:00 Irish Time).
The first part of the forum will focus on ‘Identity and Place,’ and the second will explore ‘Farm and Future.’ Friend of Feltmakers Ireland, Blátnaid Gallagher, founder of the Galway Wool Co-op, is scheduled to speak about wool during the latter section.
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The World Wool Forum is a gathering hosted by Li Edelkoort, Isabella Rossellini, and Ilaria Venturini Fendi, in partnership with Philip Fimmano, the World Hope Forum, and international industry supporters. The Forum unites global leaders from design, fashion, interiors, and textiles alongside farmers, innovators, and creative thinkers driving meaningful change for a more sustainable wool future.
This one-day conference serves as a platform for dialogue, collaboration, and vision-building, exploring the future of wool while safeguarding sheep farming traditions, animal welfare, and the rich heritage of craftsmanship.
Blátnaid Gallagher, founder of the Galway Wool Co-op, is one of the speakers.
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Explore the wonders of the world of wool. Creating sustainable clothing from wool is an ancient art. At this event, Fibreshed Ireland will share about how farmers can prepare their fleece to achieve better yields from their clip. There will be drop spindle lessons and spinning wheel demonstrations, as well as workshops in weaving, crochet, and knitting for both children and adults. There will also be demonstrations of wool carding and preparation, as well as a talk on natural dyes. Additionally, there will be a talk on Galway wool and Irish native breeds.
There will also be an exhibition of local photographs and a display of farm gates.
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The Irish Native Rare Breed Society (INRBS) will have a selection of rare breeds of sheep on display in Bunratty Folk Park. Included in this event are textile pieces from several members of Feltmakers Ireland, along with other textile artists, who are sharing their work as part of the Galway Wool Co-op’s display curated by artist Michelle Hickey Legge.
When: Sunday, the 17th of August, from 10 AM to 5 PM.
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This Inside The Gate Open Farm Day is organised by Farming For Nature and is an opportunity to visit a farm and see the vital work that farmers do for nature in your local community.
On Sunday, August 31st, Blátnaid and Niall Gallagher’s farm, featuring native Galway Sheep and Connemara Ponies, will be open for visitors.
This is a free event open to families and will be held on various farms across the country on the 31st. Please register to attend, as space is limited.
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