The closure of Connolly Sports and Leisurewear in Claregalway a number of years ago was a blow to the area, but the company has found a way to harness the experience gleaned in 28 years of design and production, and is now being rewarded with a nomination for 'New Product of the Year' by the Confederation of British Industry.

The product in question, Natural Colour Cotton, is an innovative solution to allergies and environmental concerns about fabric dyes. Natural Colour Cotton was developed in China and grows naturally in different colours due to the plant's inherent properties. Connolly was appointed to launch Natural Colour Cotton in Europe by the product's Chinese developers.

Natural Colour Cotton is over 5,000 years old and is a natural pigmented fibre that grows in shades of green, brown and beige. There are no dyes added, no toxic fertilisers or pesticides are used, and there are over 200 fabrics available.

The product is eco friendly, and is available in shops all over Ireland and Britain. John Conneely, chairman and managing director of the company, said a key part of his role with China Natural Colour Cotton is to visit farmers in Xinjiang and Gansu Provinces to encourage them to convert from growing regular cotton to organically grown natural colour cotton with no pesticides. "I'm particularly pleased that we have used our Galway heritage as weavers using natural yarns," he said.

The company is planning to expand the collections globally and has a target sales revenues in excess of €100 million within five years.

The ranges are available in Mothercare, and Nursery Village, Galway.

Comments (0) »

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Title

Comment

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment