Watch all the presentations that took place on the day
Ireland secured the bid to host the European Wool Day 2026 Conference. The event brought together national and international attendees highlighting wool’s vital role in sustainability, circular economies and cultural heritage.
Hosted at the Meadowlands Hotel in Tralee. Co.Kerry on 28th March, the ’European Wool Day 2026 Conference’ reached full capacity ahead of the event, with a substantial waiting list. The sold-out status reflects the growing momentum behind wool as a sustainable, innovative and culturally significant material across Europe. The free fringe event for the general public ‘European Wool Experience’ also saw record numbers engaging throughout the day and the Conference closed with the launch of the ‘Irish Grown Wool Almanac’ publication.
Watch all the ‘European Wool Day 2026 Conference’ presentations and panel talks here.
Panel Discussion ‘From Farm to Framework: The Role of Policy in Wool’s Future’
L_R: Tim Yeomans (CABR), Patrick Temple (Magee Weaving), Sandra Spethmann (Curraghmore Farm & Wise Wool Project), Maria Walsh MEP, Angela Hassan-Sharp (New Zealand Ambassador to Ireland)
Officially European Wool Day is celebrated on 9th April each year, whilst the conference can take place on or before this date.
See the full list of contributors and running order below.
(0:00:29) Welcome Address by Alberto Costa MD (European Wool Exchange Foundation)
(0:04:14) Official Opening by Maria Walsh MEP
(0:14:00) Overview of the Irish Grown Wool Council by Catherine Phibbs (Irish Grown Wool Council) Irish Wool Research Projects
(0:23:30) SPRINGWOOL Research Project by Tielidy Lima (Centre for Applied Bioscience Research, Technological University of the Shannon)
(0:32:45) REVEIRE Research Project by Archishman Bose (University College Cork) Wool Value Chains
(0:43:05) Cooperation: The Pillar of Future Wool Economies by Mariana Anacleto, Netherlands
(0:53:26) Making all Dutch Wool Available for the Sustainable Future of the Industry by Hollands Wol Collectief
(0:58:59) Swedish Wool Initiative: Re-establishing a Swedish Wool Industry by Johan Sidenmark (AX Foundation) and Helena Holmquist (Wool Rebel)
(1:17:52) Preliminary findings of the Focus Group ’Innovative and Sustainable Ways to Strengthen the Role of Farmers in Revitalising the European Wool Value Chain’ by Szabolcs Vágó (EU CAP Network and the Support Facility on Innovation and Knowledge Exchange (EIP AGRI))
(1:31:51) Block-chaining the Armenian Wool Value Chain by Ani Mkrtchyan, (Arm.wool, Armenia)
(1:37:51) Increasing European Clip Value on the Farm by Nigel Thompson (European Wool Association
(1:56:31) Focus Areas of the International Wool Textile Organisation’s European Wool Task Team by Andrew Hogley (British Wool)
(2:15:35) Panel Discussion “From Farm to Framework: The Role of Policy in Wool’s Future”
Moderator: Tim Yeomans (Centre for Applied Bioscience Research)
- Maria Walsh MEP
- Angela Hassan-Sharp (New Zealand Ambassador to Ireland)
- Sandra Spethmann (Curraghmore Farm & Wise Wool Project)
- Patrick Temple (Magee Weaving)
(2:58:56) Wool Initiatives
(3:00:55) Presenting the Work of the Circular Bioeconomy Cluster by Michael Noctor (Circular Bioeconomy Cluster)
(3:08:22) Wool in Ecological Restoration by Sinéad Grimes (The Dúlra Project, Forum Connemara) and Lorna Kelly (Wicklow Uplands Council)
(3:22:20) From Fibre to Marine Use – Developing a Sustainable Wool Rope for the Kelp Industry by Kate Drury (Sustainable Rope, UK)
(3:30:45) Future Island-Island and the Story of Rathlin Island Wool by Alison Gault (Ulster University)
(3:43:45) Wool is Cool by Ana Žunić (Association for Environmental Protection, Promotion of Ecological Production and Sustainable Development, Croatia) (3:50:50) Small Scale Fibre Processing in Rural Communities by Andrew Carpenter (Belfast Mini Mills, Canada)
(3:57:30) Panel Discussion: ‘From Source to Consumer: Building Value in Wool’:
Moderator: Alison Gault (Ulster University) Woollen Yarn and Textiles
- Joan Lucey (Yarn Vibes)
- Kevin Dooley (Dooley’s Wool)
- Christine de Vries (House of Kerry)
- Dinny Galvin, (Sheep Farmer & Dingle Hub)
(4:40:35) From Farm to Yarn by Zoë Daly (Ériu)
(4:56:03) Our Irish Wool Journey by Aoife McNamara (Aoife McNamara)
(5:05:15) Epirus Wool by Lena Gerothanasis (Pokari Project, Greece)
(5:13:44) Textiles for Liberation by Malú Colorin (Fibreshed Ireland)
(5:22:54) Book Review: Four Red Sweaters – Fragments of Memory by Lucy Adlington (UK)
(5:33:25) Wool4Health
(5:35:27) Therapeutic Knitting at the Donna Health Care, Cyprus: A complementary approach to patient care by Evi Skoufari, (Donna Health Care, Cyprus) (5:49:40) Textile Practices in Psychiatric Care: Exploring Wool as a Therapeutic Addition by Ninoslav Mimica MD (University Psychiatric Hospital “Vrapče”, Croatia)
(5:57:00) Gomitolorosa4arts, a Creative Way to Give a Second Life to Native Italian Wool by Ivana Appolloni (Gomitolorosa, Italy)
(6:10:30) Launch of the European Wool4Health Awards 2026 by Marisa Arosa (Portugal) and Concha Rey Mejias (EWE Foundation, Spain)
(6:14:10) Irish Grown Wool Almanac Launch and closing by Cynthia Ní Mhurchú MEP
If you were at the conference and saw the presentations we also have some new video content below, to mark the day including:
🐑 Wool ‘tips’ at lambing time by Jayne Harkness (Bones): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmeujvgMVcI
😌 Creating calm, a school project by Anja Sammon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjK9Ye1BKPc
🇪🇸 Last year’s Spanish European Wool Day celebration by Alberto Diaz from MADE IN SLOW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5t4OqiMj6D0
💡 This Will See Me Out: Localism, Emotional Longevity and Craft Heritage by Caoimhe Dowling https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAC6iU_0bT8
👶 Baby Cloud by Montenegrin Wool Institute: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJD6vOe_AYo
European Wool Day is an initiative of the European Wool Exchange Foundation (EWE) a Europe-wide initiative that celebrates the value of wool as a natural, renewable and biodegradable fibre, while highlighting the people and farming traditions behind it. The day is used to raise awareness of sustainable wool production, the role of sheep farming in rural communities, and the environmental and therapeutic benefits of choosing natural fibres over synthetic alternatives. It also showcases innovations in wool use across research, fashion, design and industry, encouraging consumers to consider wool as a durable and eco-friendly material. ewe.network
Cohosts & Sponsors:
The initiative organisers European Wool Exchange Foundation (EWE) together with local co-hosts; Irish Grown Wool Council (IGWC), Circular Bioeconomy Cluster (CBC), and Centre for Applied Bioscience Research (CABR), hosting the ticketed ‘European Wool Day 2026 Conference’ for registered attendees on Saturday 28th March 2026 in the Meadowlands Hotel, Tralee, Co. Kerry as well as the ‘European Wool Experience’ a free fringe event for the general public, which ran parallel to the conference, on the same day in the same hotel. The events were also being supported by Future Island Island, Donegal Yarns, REVEIRE, Belfast Mini Mills (Canada), Kerry County Council and Kerry Lamb and Wool Co-op, alongside the co-hosts, strengthening collaboration across the wool and bioeconomy sectors.
