
Sandra Coote
Innovator
Crafts of Ireland
Ireland
Cultural
Farming
Remote rural areas
The innovation journey
Located in county Cavan, in 2016 Sandra Coote established ‘Crafts of Ireland’ on the family farm. Both farming and crafting were at the centre of Sandra’s childhood. Growing up on a farm, her parents and grandparents used crafting and wider skilled techniques in a pragmatic way as part of their way of life. After being offered a severance package from her job, Sandra chose to follow her ambition and start her own business.
‘Crafts of Ireland’ brings farming, crafting, education and tourism together. The business harnesses Sandra’s creative skills in crafts and cooking and focuses on preserving Ireland’s traditional heritage crafts. This ranges from wool spinning to butter churning but also brings modern crafts such as needle felting into the workshops held on the farm. The farm now has a purpose-built studio where Sandra delivers a growing list of workshops. Heritage, tradition and culture also extend to the equipment used by Crafts of Ireland where antique
spinning wheels and knitting machines are also found in Sandra’s studio.
The innovation impact
‘Crafts of Ireland’ is a diverse business that brings farm and cultural innovation together. This is about tangible craft products made with farm products as raw materials, but also intangible knowledge and passing skills on to others through workshops and books. The business plays an important part in preserving Ireland’s rich craft heritage.
Crafts of Ireland also demonstrates how a small farm can become not only a thriving rural business, but be a place linked to cultural value and preservation. Being small and diverse is also a key part of the ‘Crafts of Ireland’ innovation. Sandra’s small flock of rare breed sheep provide wool, a small patch of flax is used to produce linen thread and plant dyes sourcing local raw materials are used to dye the wool.