Almost 50 Years of Island Sustainability
Beagnach 50 Bliain Ag Fás

Longevity. The generations past and those to come. When a few island women approached Tarlach de Blácam and the recently founded island co-operative for employment in the early 1970s, they were thinking of their long-term prospects on the island. When Tarlach and his wife Áine founded Inis Meáin Knitting Company, they did so to produce garments that would last a lifetime. Now approaching its 50th anniversary in 2026, the company stands as a testament to the vision of its founders, and the hard work of the island community over decades and generations.

Almost 50 years of island community sustainability...

Inis Meáin Current Island Population: 180 residents

Inis Meáin Knitwear Current Team: 25 members

- Over 120 islanders have worked at the factory.

- 13 island families have had 3 or more family members working here.

- 17 team members have worked at the factory for at least 10 years.

- 5 current employees have been working here for over 30 years, including 3 team members who have been here since the very first years.

- As well as island residents many more have relocated to the island to work in the factory for periods of time including interns from Irish and international design colleges.

In the mid-1970s Inis Meáin was in a limbo of neither living or dying. Young people were emigrating from the region in their droves, the island had neither electricity or running water, and goods were still rowed in on traditional currachs. The founding of Inis Meáin Knitting Company in 1976, built on the heritage of Aran knitting and employing skilled island craftspeople, ensured that tradition and modernity could coexist – and thrive. 

From early on, the garments produced were to be investment pieces, garments for life. Small batches of only the finest yarns. Inis Meáin’s story woven into every stitch and seam. Patterns inspired by the island’s stone walls, colours lent by the landscape. Each garment the descendant of every Aran sweater crafted lovingly on low stools before high hearths and blazing fires. Borne of the previous generation to ensure the survival here of the next. 

While many companies talk extensively about Aran Sweaters, Inis Meáin Knitting Company is the only knitting factory on any of the three Aran Islands. As such it has long been a cornerstone of the local economy, providing stable, skilled employment in a community where opportunities are limited. The team still consists largely of islanders, many of whom have honed their craft over decades, ensuring that the intricate stitches and traditional techniques of Aran knitting are passed down through generations. Working hand in hand with the latest technologies from world-class Shima Seiki knitting machines, the old skills are blended with the new to effect completely original and unique designs inspired by an inimitable location - deeply rich in textile heritage and natural beauty.

The testament of Inis Meáin Knitwear’s success could be the signature Máirtín Beag sweaters on the shelves of world-famous department stores like Bergdorf Goodman on Fifth Avenue in New York, or an iconic Inis Meáin Pub Jacket on the shoulders of Hollywood stars. But true success is the impact that the knitwear factory has had on the sustainability of the island community over the last 50 years. This week, Tarlach and Áine's granddaughter Saileog, aged 14, starts a summer job at the factory which their son and daughter-in-law, Ruairí and Marie-Thérèse now manage.

True success is the longevity of the team and the three women who have been with Inis Meáin Knitwear since its humble beginnings in Dara Beag’s shed. And a factory floor that almost fifty years on still hums with the work of Aran Islander hands.