Most Irish wool leaves Ireland to be washed. With little in the way of large-scale fleece-washing facilities in the country, the bulk of Irish sheep wool has been shipped abroad where it's handled as a commodity, blended, and resold, its provenance quietly lost along the way. Katarina decided that was a pity, and left her full-time job to do something about it. From a small workshop in Belclare, just outside Tuam in Co. Galway, she hand-washes, skirts, opens and cards 100% Irish fleeces from farmers across the west of Ireland. Much of what she processes is Galway wool from Ireland's only native breed, whose numbers fell as low as 118 registered ewes in the 1990s and which is still quietly championed by the Galway Wool Co-op down the road. Other fleeces come in from Belclare lambs, Texel crosses from Wicklow and the odd ewe in the Burren called Bear. There are two sides to the business. On one, Katarina processes wool for other farmers, artists and makers (5kg minimum). On the other, she sells the wool back in a form you can use: felting kits, hand-felted decorations, and wool insoles, all made from fleeces she has processed herself. Her Galway-wool processing was used in Cecilia Vicuña's Reverse Migration exhibition at IMMA in Dublin. Felting workshops run through the year, usually built around a native breed or a season - St Patrick's Day shamrocks, Easter eggs, Christmas decorations, the lot. Visits to the workshop are by appointment.

Awards and Recognition

Featured in the Connacht Tribune. Wool processed by Woolstore was used in Cecilia Vicuña's Reverse Migration exhibition at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA). Confirm any formal awards with producer.

Social Media

https://www.instagram.com/woolstoreireland

Can people visit or buy direct?

Visits to the workshop are by appointment. Please contact Katarina directly for more details

Website

https://www.woolstore.ie

Address Summary

Carrowbeg, Belclare, Tuam, Co. Galway