At some point during the planning of our itinerary, I got the idea to some how obtain a Galway wool fleece or Galway wool yarn for the workshop that I will teach at the end of this tour. I did a quick search and found the Galway Wool Co-op. With a few messages back and forth, Blatnaid and I exchanged info and organized for me to pick up a Galway fleece when I visit this March. I know also that bringing the tour to Blatnaid and her sharing the story of the Galway breed needed to be a cornerstone of this tour. Wool and Ireland are nearly synonymous, but the reality may surprise you. Enter the ancient Galway sheep and there you will find true Irish wool.
We begin the day heading south with a stop at Belleek Pottery, world famous producer of Parian china goods. Belleek Pottery has been promoting craftsmanship for over 160 years. We’ll enjoy a guided tour which allows visitors full access behind the scenes to see the creative process behind the fine china as well as meeting some of the local craftspeople.
Afterwards, we’ll continue south making a quick pit-stop en route for lunch and then onto a visit with Blatnaid Gallagher of the Galway Wool Cooperative. Here, we’ll enjoy a ‘wool safari’ and learn about the preservation and conservation work that goes on within the co-op itself before meeting the famous Galway herd!
We’ll then continue on to Galway City and check-in to our ocean-front hotel, The Galway Bay Hotel. And the remainder of the day is ours to relax in our hotel or venture out to the city where there’s sure to be traditional Irish music playing in a cozy pub with delicious fare.
