Earth Day 2022 Preserving the past. Protecting the future.

Earth Day 2022 is celebrated April 22nd.
Sustainability is not just a buzz word for our suppliers. They live it day to day and for most it is not some new fad or marketing angle -  it is how they operate daily.

We’re proud to tell you that our suppliers don’t think Earth Day is limited to one day of the year. When you live on an island like Ireland, you have to be keenly aware of what you use, what you produce and what you throw away...every day.

The Blackthorn sticks are harvested yearly from a sustainable source of wood growing in the valleys of the mountains around Ireland. The lads are very secretive about where they go to harvest the wood as they don’t want it to be overused and cause it to die off. And they are guarding their “intellectual property” also like many good small business owners.

The Reeds used in the St. Brigid’s Crosses are grown along the banks of the Shannon and then they are cut and put up in sheds to dry out and get ready to be formed into the shapes of the Crosses as has been done for generations. By definition the Crosses are a sustainable product as the raw materials are harvested every season.

Traditionally in Ireland Weaving Mills would be located close to a water source for power and washing. You would find them about 7-10 miles away from each other as that was the “catchment area” for drovers and sheep farmers. The mill wheel and race were the sources of power and today they still are for many. Instead of turning a wheel to drive  a belt that powered the Looms in the mill that spun the thread and then wove the final product into a scarf or throw.

That mill race and wheel now will charge a battery that is used to power dryers or the lighting in the plant. So sustainability has been what traditional crafts people have been about for generations. It is not one day of the year  -  for them it is every day of the year.

Míle buiochas -  many thanks for your support of these sustainable businesses over the years. Lets keep it going