Rug designer on mission to save Irish wool

Irish rug designer Claire McGovern wants to rescue Irish wool, the price of which has crashed, threatening the livelihood of Irish sheep farmers.

Wool carpets and rugs are luxury floor coverings that are chosen for their stylish looks and soft, warm feel. Wool is a sustainable, natural product that is environmentally friendly. McGovern sources the wool for her rugs from Galway farms. Killarney’s Kerry Woollen Mills processes the wool, which is then hand dyed in Kilkenny, at Cushendale Mills. The preparation of the wool is finished in a Wicklow farmhouse studio, which hand-tufts the wool ready for turning it into carpets and rugs.

McGovern’s rugs are works of art, and two of them are in the private collection of the Irish Ambassador for the United Nations in New York.

Speaking to the Irish Times, McGovern said:

“I want to salvage this precious resource which is incredibly hardy, durable and sustainable and turn it into heirloom carpets to give new life to a renewable and carbon-friendly fibre.”

Millions of tons of synthetic carpets are sent to landfills each year, whereas wool is recyclable. McGovern has declared that 5% from the sales at Rhyme Studios in New York will be used to purchase wool from Irish sheep. In April 2020, the Irish government announced a £1.27 million support package for the sheep industry after wool prices fell.

McGovern’s rugs cost between €4,000 and €20,000. However, luxury wool carpets for North Wales homes can be sourced at much cheaper prices.