It is approximately one month since the all-island Irish Grown Wool Council (IGWC) was established.

The new grouping brings together 21 stakeholders from Ireland and Northern Ireland, all with an interest in trying to reverse the recent demise of the wool sector and “to realise the potential of Irish-grown wool as a natural, sustainable and versatile material”.

The Irish Farmers Journal spoke recently to group member Fergal Byrne, Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association member and organic farmer, to gain an insight into the group’s vision and priorities for the year ahead.

Fergal acknowledges that the group has its work cut out for them, but he is optimistic they can hit the ground running, commenting that there is huge enthusiasm among the council members to bring about real change.

Council dynamics

“There is no silver bullet in raising the value of wool. It will be a multipronged approach that will explore every opportunity of how value can be added, be this using lower-grade wool for compost or insulation, etc; or harder wearing wool for carpets and finer-type wools for garments/bed linen and also exploring many new avenues.

“There is a huge job of work to do and the diverse skillsets of everyone on the council are a great asset that will be utilised for progress in several key areas.”

For example, one of the first tasks is to establish the IGWC as a company limited by guarantee.

There are eight group members working on this objective, while high on the agenda is to develop a governance structure that clearly defines rules, procedures, roles, etc and gives the council a strong foundation from which to build.

Irish wool brand

Another immediate goal is developing a brand for Irish wool. Fergal says the aim is to develop a brand that every product can be sold with provenance guaranteed.

He adds that there is massive potential to raise the profile of Irish wool as a product consumers want to be associated with, and says that this starts at farm-level.

“As farmers, we should be proud of the product we produce. Every farmer or farm household should aim to have some woollen clothing or garments. We cannot expect other consumers to back Irish wool if we do not also take the initiative ourselves.”

Research and innovation is also viewed as a critical area. “There are so many more opportunities for wool beyond the traditional uses. Wool is being considered as a component for many man-made materials to improve their environmental credentials.

"There is also a need to explore how wool could be scoured and processed in Ireland at a lower volume that makes economic and environmental sense. In this regard, the wool hub is a magnificent development.”

Funding of €30,000 has been provided by the Department of Agriculture to help establish the IGWC. This funding will only get the initiative up and running, and the council plans to explore all funding sources.

Council stakeholders have made recommendations to the Department on how funding could be utilised at farm-level, to help promote the manner in which wool is handled and the quality of product delivered for processing, while similar representation could be made to other Departments to promote aspects such as increased use of wool insulation.

The co-op model will also be assessed to see if there are further initiatives, such as the Galway Wool Co-op, where value can be added.

Last but not least is the area of education and outreach to consumers. Promoting the benefits of wool to consumers and the wider general public, including school children, will help to crystallise the environmental benefits of wool and get more people asking why there is not greater use being made of wool yet.

Interested parties

Fergal encourages any interested parties to give their feedback and ideas to stakeholders, and says the council will continue to provide progress updates ahead of its first AGM in December 2023.

The 21-strong council has members from Ireland and Northern Ireland, representing all bodies with a keen interest in the wool sector. It is envisaged that council members will form specialist groupings to progress developments in a number of key areas.

The council is made up as follows:

  • Chris Weiniger, Donegal Yarns.
  • Eve Savage, Education & Outreach manager, Circular Bioeconomy Cluster South West, Munster Technological University.
  • Sean McNamara, ICSA National Sheep chairman.
  • Lorna McCormack, director of Wool in School.
  • Sean Moriarty, Kerry Lamb & Wool Co-op.
  • Phelim Molloy, Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association.
  • Claire McGovern, Rhyme Studio, sustainable Irish wool designer.
  • Sandra King, Irish Fibre Crafters.
  • David Heraty, Irish Sheep Shearers Association (ISSA) & Romney Flock.
  • Jane Harkness Bones, Ulster Wool.
  • George Graham, ISSA Shearing Training and Farm Safety.
  • John Joe Fitzgerald, hill sheep farmer.
  • Deborah Evers, strategic planning & comms (previously on Project BAA BAA).
  • Tom Dunne, ISSA Independent.
  • Kevin Dooley, Dooley Wool Merchants.
  • Kevin Comiskey, chair, IFA National Sheep.
  • Pat Coffey, Coffey Wool Exports.
  • Matthew Carroll, Suck Valley Farm, Galway Wool Co-op.
  • Fergal Byrne, Irish Cattle & Sheep Farmers Association, organic sector.
  • Daryl McLaughlin (Alastair Armstrong), Ulster Farmers’ Union.
  • Pat Byrne, facilitator, The Agile Executive.

    • Wool Hub formed

    The Irish Grown Wool Council announced last week that a new Wool Research and Innovation Hub, termed the ‘Wool Hub’, has been established.

    The council outlines that the aim of the Wool Hub will be to provide research, development and innovation support to farmers, sole traders, small- and medium-sized enterprises and all other parties “operating in the wool sector who wish to make the best use of this natural Irish-grown indigenous resource”.

    Wool Hub activities will be hosted by the Circular Bioeconomy Cluster South West at Munster Technological University (MTU).

    The IGWC explains that the Cluster grouping will work with companies to create collaborative opportunities for businesses to engage.

    “Companies and primary producers are supported in the development of circular and sustainable business models along with management systems. This accelerates R&D opportunities through partnering services, accelerator programmes, investor funding and new market connections.”

    Eve Savage, manager at the Cluster, stated: “Expertise areas that the Wool Hub panel brings to the table include: design, innovation, processing technologies, biotechnology and textile innovation.”

    Dr Helena McMahon, director of the CircBio Research Group at MTU, added: “With the increasing demand for climate-smart products, this initiative has enormous potential to create highly innovative products, setting Ireland apart as a leader in wool bio-based product innovation.”