Seaweeds have been exploited in Ireland since at least the 12th century. From the early 1700s, ash was extracted in kelp kilns on the west-coast and used in soap- and glass-making, as a fertiliser, and as a source of iodine. From the 1940s to the early 1990s, drift seaweed known as 'blackweed' was collected, dried and milled as a constituent of animal feed and for liquid seaweed extracts.
In the west of Ireland traditional handharvesting still takes place. Pictured here is a traditional "climini", a bundeled heap of knotted wrack (Ascophyllum nodosum).
Nowadays, however, fresh seaweed is harvested from unpolluted Irish shores and is used in a variety of Industries, e.g., Alginate Industry, Agriculture, Horticulture, Body care & Cosmetics, Sea vegetables, Thalassotherapy and biomedicine.
The Irish Seaweed Centre commits itself to initiating seaweed research projects, disseminating information regarding seaweed uses and applications and supporting and developing coastal communities based on the sustainable seaweed resource.