Different fibres. Different strengths. One connected sector.

Bast fibre

Industrial hemp

A fast-growing annual crop that can provide long bast fibre, shorter technical fibre and a woody inner core known as shiv or hurd.

Hemp is especially interesting because one stem can be fractionated into several material streams. The commercial challenge in Ireland is not simply growing it; it is building reliable harvesting, retting, decortication, cleaning, grading and markets at the right scale.

Animal fibre

Wool

An established natural fibre with valuable thermal, acoustic, moisture and felting characteristics—and an opportunity to create higher-value technical applications.

Not every grade of wool is suited to premium textiles. That makes material innovation important: insulation, acoustic products, felts, non-wovens, composites and blends can create alternative pathways where performance and processing economics align.

Bast fibre

Flax

Flax connects Ireland to a deep linen heritage while offering modern potential in technical textiles, natural-fibre composites and high-value design.

A revived flax chain would require attention to seed, agronomy, retting, scutching, hackling, fibre quality and the economics of processing. The opportunity is strongest where heritage knowledge meets modern material and manufacturing capability.

Wetland biomass

Rush

A familiar and often under-valued Irish biomass with distinct outer fibre and internal pith fractions.

Rushes deserve investigation where management already creates a biomass stream. Potential applications may include absorbent media, low-density fillers, fibre blends, panels and other biobased materials, provided harvesting, drying, contamination and performance requirements are properly addressed.

Side streams

Agricultural & forestry residues

Selected crop, forestry and processing residues may offer useful cellulose, fibre or filler fractions when a clear use case and sustainable supply already exist.

Residues are not automatically waste or free feedstock. Competing uses, soil nutrient value, collection cost, moisture, storage and transport all matter. Natural Fibres Ireland will prioritise streams where higher-value material use can be demonstrated responsibly.