A company providing employment on Inis Meáin has gone from selling locally to exporting its knitwear.
Tarlach de Blácam and Áine Ní Chonghaile founded the Inis Meáin Knitting Company in 1976 with the aim of providing employment for young people on the island.
Initially selling their products to tourists, they branched out into new designs and with help from the Irish export board An Córas Tráchtála (CTT), expanded into the export market. These days hand-knitted sweaters made on Inis Meáin are sold to France, Germany, Italy, Holland and Belgium. Garments created for European customers are different from those sought by Irish consumers and look for
A lot more colour…lots and lots of patterns.
Inis Meáin Knitwear also contracts the services of an external designer, which has worked to their advantage. Their products are aimed at the higher end of the market with garments made from
Specialist yarns...even in alpaca and silk.
In keeping with industry standards, computerised knitting machines are used in the factory. Once someone has received training using the computer system is straightforward, maintains Máirtín Ó Conghaile,
Déanann sí fhéin an rud ar fad.
Given all of the above developments, there's no reason why an enterprise on an island shouldn't operate any way differently than one on the mainland, says De Blacam,
It should be done on the Aran Islands as well as everywhere else.
This report for 'Jobsuss' was broadcast on 14 March 1984. The reporter is Richard Crowley.
'Jobsuss' was a ten-part series on people newly involved in work areas such as community enterprise, small business and co-ops, or just simply working for themselves. ‘Jobsuss’ was presented by Dave Fanning and Susan Byrne. 'Jobsuss' was first broadcast on 1 February 1984 and was made by RTE in association with the Youth Employment Agency and AnCO [An Comhairle Oiliúna].
