Líonra Horizons Project

The Irish Traditional Industry and Heritage Co-Operative Ltd. was an All-Ireland market-focused consortium of small, medium, and micro enterprises. 33 members are located in Northern Ireland and the border counties (22 of these in the ICBAN Region). The Co-operative is registered as a not-for-profit organisation under the Registrar of Friendly Societies in Dublin and operated a contact and fulfillment centre in Falcarragh, Co. Donegal. Its purpose is: “To support the growth of indigenous producers of traditional fashion and crafts industry in the Ulster province, Donegal, and bordering counties and thereby to contribute to the economic and social vitality of their communities, to assist traditional and sometimes threatened industries, often in deprived locations, to promote the development of new products, to facilitate contact, partnership and networking, and build upon a common purpose among producers representing traditions on both sides of the Border, to disseminate information and cultivate awareness, and to create and expand consistent access to international markets” The Líonra Horizons Project’s main aim was to build capacity of participant companies and facilitate a best-practice joined-up approach to product development and marketing, open new international markets on behalf of participant companies (research, testing, and entry) into the consumer markets of UK, Germany, Australia and the corporate market of USA, facilitate increased cross-border communication and collaboration among participant companies, create and implement a single ‘international brand identity’ for the project participants and the Co-operative; and to increase participant capacity in the areas of operations and marketing. Unfortunately due to difficult trade conditions, at an Extraordinary General Meeting of The Irish Traditional Industry and Heritage Co-Operative Ltd on 18th April 2007 the decision was made to wind up the company voluntarily and the company was put into liquidation.