About Us
About AppleOak FibreWorks
AppleOak FibreWorks is a natural dyeing company based in Co. Clare, in the west of Ireland. We operate as a circular-economy business, working with sustainable, low-impact processes at every stage of production.
All of our dyeing is carried out using harvested rainwater, and all dye water is filtered and returned to the land through engineered reed-bed and plant-bed systems. Spent dye material is composted in our wormery and transformed into rich organic compost, nourishing future dye plants and closing the loop between garden and dye house.
Our work is rooted in respect for fibre, land, water, and time.
About Jennifer & Tristan Lienhard
AppleOak FibreWorks is run by Jennifer and Tristan Lienhard, who work together to continuously improve the sustainability and resilience of the business. A key focus of their work is ongoing dye-plant trials, with the aim of growing up to 60 % of AppleOak’s dye plants in Ireland.
Tristan is a seasoned organic gardener with over 20 years’ experience, trained in biodynamic gardening, landscaping, and professional seed saving. He previously worked as Head Gardener for the Irish Seed Savers Association and now works full-time at AppleOak alongside running a small landscaping practice.
Jennifer has worked with natural dyes for almost 20 years, with experience ranging from small-scale and cottage-industry dyeing to large-scale contract work. She runs the dye house and shop at AppleOak and teaches the One-Year Professional Natural Dyeing Course through the Natural Dyers & Growers Academy.
A note from the AppleOak studio
This section shares a short update on where we are right now, alongside our ongoing work and plans.
AppleOak is a living, evolving place, and at the moment that’s especially visible.
We’re currently refining our website and collections — improving filters, images, and navigation to make browsing clearer and more intuitive. This work will continue into the new year as we implement changes step by step.
Running a small fibre and dye business today requires far more digital knowledge than we ever imagined. It’s taken time — almost a full year of learning — and now we’re putting that learning into practice, carefully and steadily.
We’re deeply grateful to our local customers, many of whom continue to place collection orders that we pass over through the gate, as we’re no longer permitted to receive visitors in person. Internationally, changes to the US market have been challenging, and we’re especially thankful to our US customers who continue to support us despite customs duties.
Looking ahead, we’re preparing for a future move to a new premises — a space that will be open to the public, just three minutes away from us here in Tuamgraney. There’s still planning and building work ahead, so we can’t yet share a timeline, but we’re looking forward to creating a beautiful and welcoming home for AppleOak.
Thank you for being part of this journey.
Sustainability & sourcing
AppleOak FibreWorks uses compostable packaging, works exclusively with fully sustainable dyeing methods, and sources materials from trusted, like-minded suppliers who share our values.
