Dismayed at the sharply falling price of wool on the traditional route to market, a group of wool producers – The Galway Wool Co-op – has achieved a “fair and substantial” price through securing its own customer in Donegal Yarn.
Having opted to find a direct route to market, the group – which has 70 members from throughout the country – said that Donegal Yarn has agreed to buy its entire Galway clip for 2021.
“The Galway is Ireland’s native breed of sheep. It is from its wool that the Irish Aran sweater was created,” said Blatnaid Gallagher of the group.
“Before the introduction of European and British breeds in the 70s, Irish farmers were successful in earning a living from this native Irish sheep breed; producing crisp white wool from this placid, dual purpose sheep.
“As the demand for the faster meat producing sheep breeds increased, the Galway sheep numbers started to decline.
“Simultaneously, our tourist industry was growing, and so too was the cruel reality of Irish crafts being produced with Australian and South African merino wool, and subsequently being labelled as Irish wool product,” said Blatnaid.
Irish wool
“Many of the woollen products in our Irish woollen mills and retail shops are being produced from imported wool.
“Unfortunately, in a lot of our tourist shops, we are also churning out ‘Irish’ sweaters and blankets made in China, India, Morocco, Turkey, and other apparel producing countries,” she said.
“The production of these products outside of Ireland is diluting our Irish brand, selling off our heritage, and disenfranchising our craft culture.
“In Ireland and abroad, the Aran sweater and other woollen craft products are thriving, while Irish wool production is on its knees and Irish sheep farmers are expected to dump their wool once again this year.
“Up until this year our wool has joined the traditional route to merchant and onto the world wool commodities trading floor, or given the costs involved, some of our farmers may have little alternative but to just dump it.”
During the worldwide pandemic, the group of Irish farmers could no longer watch their natural wool biofibre, which acts as a carbon sink and supports biodiversity in the Irish landscape, being dumped and treated as waste, said Blatnaid.
Donegal Yarn
The group worked over Zoom calls to find a direct route to market for its wool.
“Donegal Yarn, becoming the Galway wool co-op’s first customer, recognised the superior quality of this crisp white wool, its provenance, and its importance as the cornerstone of the Irish wool and crafts industry for almost 100 years.
“In recognition of the historical importance of Ireland’s native breed, the Galway and its 100 year old flock book, Donegal Yarn has agreed to purchase our wool at a very rewarding price this year. It will have it available as clean spun wool in late July,” she said.
“Crisp white wool of a medium to fine texture, Galway wool is set to become a premier quality biofibre, sought after by international designers and creators of home interiors and slow fashion garments,” Blatnaid said.
Wool collection
The group will bring its Galway wool to the collection point of Athenry Mart on Saturday, June 26, at 10:00a.m, where it will be picked up for processing by Donegal Yarn.
The Galway wool co-op will prepare its first order for 5,000kgs of clean rolled Galway fleece for supply to Donegal Yarn.
“At the mart, every bag and fleece will be inspected by a group of volunteers to ensure the wool is clean, dry-rolled Galway wool. After inspection, the wool will be weighed and the farmer issued with a voucher. This voucher indicates the weight of the wool and will be exchanged for payment,” said Blatnaid.
“Drawing, inspecting and weighing will all take place in the car park by volunteers from the Galway wool co-op. Sheep farmers are working together, and for one another to achieve a premium price for what they know to be a superior product.
“This wool ‘Meitheal’ is not open to the public, but the group is inviting the media to share its celebration of people working together to find a solution and to halt the hemorrhaging of Irish wool as waste into the world wool commodities markets,” she added.
The group has received funding from LEADER and will begin construction of its virtual Galway wool co-op. “Every year we will seek to attain the best price for our wool. Our order book is now open for 2022,” said Blatnaid.
“The Galway wool co-op will seek the support of the Irish consumer in asking for Irish wool instead of imported merino wool in their home interiors and lifestyle products. This will be a great start to restoring the cultural integrity of Irish wool.”
The Galway wool co-op will also provide a platform for home interiors, lifestyle designers and makers, to partner with it and showcase the products they have produced from Galway wool.
“Our aim is to reinstate a route to market for our native Irish wool, the Galway,” Blatnaid concluded.