Harris Tweed helps weave the Irish connection

The Irish visitors are keen to learn from the Harris Tweed Authority’s experience about how Donegal Tweed can gain protected status, possibly through the EU’s Protected Designation of Origin scheme.

A similar bid by the HTA was well placed to succeed when Brexit intervened. However, it already benefits from protections contained in the 1993 Harris Tweed Act of the UK Parliament.

There has been previous contact between the HTA and public bodies in Donegal about weaver training. With an upsurge of interest in traditional weaving, the Donegal delegation is keen to learn from the successful mentoring scheme which helped boost Harris Tweed weaver numbers.

They are led by the chairman of Donegal County Council, Councillor Martin Harley, and received an official welcome from Comhairle nan Eilean Siar on Tuesday evening. The group also includes the chairman of, Magee, the biggest Donegal Tweed producer, Patrick Temple and Kieran Malloy of Malloy and Sons.

In addition to the HTA, they were due to view all stages of the Harris Tweed process from weaver to mill. A reception for the Donegal Tweed industry at the Irish Consulate General in Edinburgh will round off the visit.

Although they had similar origins, the Donegal industry diverged significantly from Harris Tweed by the 1960s when most production became machine woven. There has been a resurgence of interest in handwoven production by small firms.

Donnchaidh O Baoill of Údarás na Gaeltachta, said the characteristics of Donegal Tweed, including a distinctive fleck in the woven fabric, have remained the same and need protection from copying. “It is a unique type of tweed”, he said.

Mr O Baoill has promoted many aspects of the relationship between the Scottish Gaidhealtachd and Donegal. These continue to be close – in the village of Rann na Feirste in the Rosses area of west Donegal, he has neighbours from Benbecula and Barra.

Interest in a weaving revival in the county was confirmed recently when 300 people turned out to an event which celebrated “the story of tweed” in south-west Donegal and how it evolved into a vibrant textile industry which provides employment for over 250 people.The event premiered a film, in which local people related their personal experiences of working in the tweed, wool and related textile industries. The bilingual film was produced by Údarás na Gaeltachta and Áislann Chill Charthaigh.

Lorna Macaulay, chief executive of the Harris Tweed Authority, said: “The Harris Tweed industry welcomes this partnership with Donegal. Whilst it has begun around our common interest in tweed, it has potential to be so much more given our shared language, culture and heritage.

“The Donegal group are particularly keen to learn about our work protecting Harris Tweed and I think in turn we can learn from them. Specifically, I am hoping to better understand how we might make better in-road into promoting our story to the American and Canadian markets which they know well”.