Donegal tweed is one of Ireland’s most famous heritage textiles, and was once described as the most valuable and brilliant facet of the Irish woollen industry. It has been highly prized since the 16th century. An enduring emblem of the landscape from which it comes, it is interwoven with culture and community and has shaped Irish history and its economy. It is an Irish art form that endures, its cachet on the international circuit continuing to thrive and inspire.
Curated by Nuala Goodman, The Wild Donegal Tweed Project is a collaboration between five Donegal tweed companies and art and design students from NABA (Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti) in Rome. Through the Irish Times fashion journalist Deirdre McQuillan, the five Donegal companies (McNutt of Donegal, Magee 1866, Molloy & Sons, Triona Design and Studio Donegal) have donated their fabrics to the NABA textile workshop. The handwoven, natural and sustainable quality of Donegal tweed appealed to the students as an alternative to cheap synthetic materials.
Tweed cushions (45 x 45 cm) were chosen as the ideal form for re-imagining techniques such as smocking, embroidery, felting, patchwork, layering and more.
Location: The Coach House Gallery, Dublin Castle.
Duration: 6th June, 2025 – 24th August, 2025
Opening hours: 10 am – 5 pm (closed for lunch 1.15pm – 1.45pm)
Free admission
