In August 2013, Ryan O’Rourke from The Wild Geese interviewed Anne about her passion and determination to see the genuine hand-knit Aran sweater survive. The transcript is below, but audio and more images can be viewed here.   The Wild Geese: Anne, give us a concise history on the rich tradition of Aran-style knitting. Anne Ó Máille: I would say that the origins of the Aran knitting as we know it are quite recent.  …continue…

In June 2011 we were visited by Yoshimi Hasegawa and the photographer Yusuke Abe from Japan who were writing a piece for Wingspan, ANA’s in-flight magazine. The article was originally published in the November 2011 issue of the magazine and 32 pages were dedicated to the history of the Aran sweater. They have now published this in book form along with photographs from their trip to the Outer Hebrides to …continue…

The Irish Times October 4, 2000 Anne Ó’Maille in conversation with Trish O’Donovan. Last January Oprah Winfrey launched a TV channel called Oxygen, aimed at women. It has an Internet site of course, and Women’s Hands is the section devoted to the work women do. Twenty women in the world were chosen because of the kind of handwork and craftwork we do and I was chosen because of knitting. I …continue…

You must save some of your energy and time for O’Máille’s, the other Galway ‘institution’. It was established 50 years ago, and Mary, one of the original family founders, still works in the shop today, selling brilliant tweed off large bales by the yard. O’Máille’s have their own cottage knitters producing a vast array of Aran sweaters in the traditional white, and also in a range of soft ‘fashion colours’, …continue…