Weavers across Ireland have come together to promote Irish wool and tweed at home and abroad.
The Wool Weavers of Ireland was founded to protect the reputation of Irish wool and tweed from cheap imitations manufactured abroad. The organisation represents 16 companies operating in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Everyone loves Irish tweed and not least the world's top fashion houses.
Joe Hanley, chairman of the Wool Weavers of Ireland, speaking at the launch in Dublin, says that Irish fabrics will be easily distinguishable from imitations in the future through the use of a symbol that combines the shamrock and the pure new wool mark.
This will be a mark which will signify that the tweed which we make is the genuine article.
The symbol will be displayed on the tags of garments and promotional literature to indicate Irish products are genuine.
Over the past 10 years, the number of companies engaged in the industry declined from 57 to 30. In the same period, the number of people employed in garment manufacturing fell from 8,000 to 4,000. Joe Hanley points to the removal of trade protections as the main cause of the decline in the industry. This was compounded by the recession in the mid-1970s. He acknowledges that this is not just a challenge for Irish producers but is widespread across Europe.
Irish mills couldn't compete with low cost imports.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 14 April 1981.
