Wise Wool Project
Wise Wool facilitates workshops educating the public on wool being a valuable waste product. The Wise Wool Project is based in County Kerry, Ireland, and is supported and funded by Creative Ireland.
What’s about?
Sheep farmers are told their Irish wool is worthless. It’s more expensive to shear a sheep than to sell it’s fleece and that has been the way for the past few decades. It continues to decline. Synthetic fibre is cheaper to produce in Asia. Wool is considered a category 3 “waste product” in Ireland. The “Irish wool” we see in today’s shops is not actually Irish wool. It’s a softer fiber imported from Australia and New Zealand. Could you imagine if France had all of its grapes shipped in from Australia and called it French wine?
Wise Wool Project is a newly formed project to bring awareness to the wool waste in Ireland. Kerry, Lisa & Sandra offer workshops for children aged 6+. They will share the value of wool as they teach the little ones how to wet felt raw wool together to make a square wall decoration.
These workshops need to be booked in advance.
This project is supported and funded by Creative Ireland. Facebook: @wisewoolproject
Upcoming events
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Family Day at NatureHub, Gap of Dunloe Co. Kerry
13th August 2025 from 11am - 1pm
The NatureHub, Gap of Dunloe
Join us for a fun and educational Family Day exploring one of Irelands most previous natural resources - wool - and its dilemma it finds itself in nowadays society.
Get hands-on with the wool process.
Try your skills at various stages - from raw wool to fleeces.
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Panel discussion at Bioeconomy Ireland Week 2024 Tralee, Co. Kerry
TBC - 14 - 20th October 2025
Bioeconomy Ireland Week 2025
Bioeconomy Ireland Week 2025 takes place from Monday 14 October to Sunday 20 October 2024. This year's theme is ‘Demonstrating Biobased Solutions for a Greener Ireland’.
Through a broad range of over 20 activities and events happening throughout the country, Bioeconomy Ireland Week will showcase the benefits of growing a bioeconomy in Ireland.
The week will be officially launched at the offices of the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications on Monday 14th October. The theme of this launch event is ‘Utilising Organic Waste Streams within the Circular Bioeconomy’.
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Join us for the panel discussion
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Wise Wool Celebration Day at Kate Kearneys, Co. Kerry
TBC - November 2025
Wise Wool Celebration at Kate Kearney's.
Schedule - TBC
This is a family free event, but booking is required for the felting workshop and the movie.
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Kerry Science Festival at MTU Tralee, Co. Kerry
Date TBC November 2025
Kerry Science Festival
An Annual Celebration of STEM featuring Workshops, Talks, and Interactive Activities for all ages.
Wet Felting for children aged 6+. Lisa and Sandra will share the value of wool as they teach the little ones how to wet felt raw wool together to make a square wall decoration.
We will all start together with a chat about wool, and then we will teach step by step how to create a wet felting piece.
Past events
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Wet Felting at Discover Derrynane Festival 2025
Drop in sessions - 7th - 8th June 2025
The Office of Public Works (OPW) is delighted to announce the return of the weekend festival, ‘Discover Derrynane’ The family festival is set to showcase the rich, natural and cultural heritage of Derrynane National Historic Park and the surrounding community of South Kerry. Curated, programmed, and funded by the OPW, the festival offers a fun filled programme of free activities, walks, talks, and tours for all ages.
Wet Felting for children aged 6+. Lisa will share the value of wool as they teach the little ones how to wet felt raw wool together to make a square wall decoration.
No booking required.
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Kfest at Killorglin, Co. Kerry
11:00AM - 12:00PM 2th June 2024
Wet Felting for children aged 6+. Lisa and Kerry will share the value of wool as they teach the little ones how to wet felt raw wool together to make a square wall decoration. This is a closed workshop.
We will all start together with a chat about wool, and then we will teach step by step how to create a wet felting piece. -
Festival of Wool and Cloth in Waterville, Co. Kerry
Drop In (All day) - 4th - 6th July 2024
Wet Felting for children aged 6+. Lisa and Kerr will share the value of wool as they teach the little ones how to wet felt raw wool together to make a square wall decoration.
We will all start together with a chat about wool, and then we will teach step by step how to create a wet felting piece. -
Wet felting workshops at Anam Centre, Killarney, Co. Kerry
20th July 2024, 11-12PM or 12:30-13:30PM
Wet Felting for children aged 6+. Lisa and Kerry will share the value of wool as they teach the little ones how to wet felt raw wool together to make a square wall decoration.
We will all start together with a chat about wool, and then we will teach step by step how to create a wet felting piece.
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Wise Wool Celebration Day at Kate Kearneys, Co. Kerry
9th November 2024
Wise Wool Celebration at Kate Kearney's.
11am - All ages workshops
12pm - Storytelling
1:30pm - Demonstrations & Lunch
3pm - Movie Screening: Notes From Sheepland
4:15pm - Coffee & Tea Break
4:30pm - Panel Discussion
6pm - Music
Here's the schedule for the day:
11.00am - All ages workshop
12.00pm - Storytelling
1:30pm - Demonstrations/Lunch
3.00pm - ‘Notes From Sheepland’ movie
4:15pm - Coffee/Tea break
4:30pm - Panel Discussion
6.00pm - Music
This is a family free event, but booking is required for the felting workshop and the movie.
