Irish-grown wool is an iconic feature of Ireland’s craft heritage, with Ireland producing around 7 million kg of wool from approximately 4 million sheep, making it a key wool producer in the European Union. 

However, the industry has been facing challenges, including low returns to farmers and a lack of local scouring capacity. 

CABR’s wool-related research is predominantly focused on driving innovation, sustainability, and value in the Irish-grown wool sector, developing new uses for waste wool, such as compost and the extraction of ceramides and keratin, and supporting sustainable and scalable wool processing, including the feasibility of mobile scouring units. 

REVEIRE Project – a national research project to regenerate the Irish-grown wool industry through sustainability, innovation, and circular bioeconomy principles. The project aims to transform wool from a low-value by-product into a high-value resource, creating environmental, social, and economic benefits. (Read more)

SPRINGWOOL Project – a national research initiative to drive innovation, sustainability, and value in the Irish-grown wool sector. The project aims to address the critical challenges facing the Irish wool sector, including low returns to farmers and environmental obstacles, by supporting key research into sustainable processing, innovative applications, and market development for Irish-grown wool. (Read more)