Inspired by a yarn-bombed bike in New York, Shamrock Spring decided to give help to a month-long community Yarn Bombing Festival. Based in Newbridge, Co. Kildare, the group combines environmental awareness raising and socially inclusive community fun.

The wool celebration takes place annually outdoors in the Liffey Linear Park, with schools and retirement homes sharing their craft skills. Wool is their way to build alliances, strengthen communities and have a pride of place in their town. Shamrock Spring also hosted an inaugural ‘World Wide Knit in Public Day’, attended by Ukrainian refugees and people new to knitting, as a way to develop friendships in a non-verbal exchange. 

“The act of bringing together these communities in a common project in times of enduring Covid-19 public health is like a ‘meitheal’ - an Irish word which describes neighbours in rural communities helping to harvest crops together. Our modern ‘meitheal’ is an inclusive, fun one and all our groups share funding, co-creation possibilities and above all empowerment and encouragement.” Deirdre Lane, Shamrock Spring

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