Team Ireland to wear Westport's Aran Woollen Mills at Winter Olympics

Team Ireland's four athletes heading to the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games will be wrapped in tradition as well as warmth, as Westport's iconic Aran Woollen Mills has been selected as the official sweater provider for the Irish Olympic team.

The partnership brings together two proud Irish traditions – elite athletic achievement and the time-honoured craft of Aran knitwear, which has been woven into the fabric of Irish coastal life for generations.

Team Ireland’s social media channels purred about the partnership,  stating that “The Aran sweater deserves its own moment.”

Cormac Comerford, who will be representing Ireland in the downhill, giant slalom run and Super G disciplines is certainly a fan of the jumpers, calling them beautiful. 

"This is an incredible opportunity to showcase Westport's craftsmanship on an international platform," Vincent Hughes of Aran Woolen Mills told The Mayo News. "Our sweaters will be worn by Ireland's finest athletes, and we're honoured to play a part in Team Ireland's presentation."

Set against the spectacular backdrop of the Italian Alps, the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will run from February 6-22, with Ireland represented by alpine skiers Cormac Comerford and Anabelle Zurbay, cross-country skier Thomas Maloney Westgård, and freestyle skier Ben Lynch.

"This team reflects the progress of Irish winter sport and the exceptional standards required to compete at Olympic level," said Team Ireland Chef de Mission Nancy Chillingworth. "We are excited to see three new names on the Irish team, and are looking forward to welcoming Thomas back."

The Aran sweater tradition, which began with fishermen along Ireland's rugged western coastline, carries deep symbolic meaning. Each stitch pattern in traditional Aran knitwear represents different aspects of the fisherman's craft, with many believed to bring luck, good fortune, and safety to the wearer.

Aran Woollen Mills, based in Westport, County Mayo, continues this heritage through carefully crafted, ethically made pieces that honor the mystical and enchanting power embedded in the ocean symbolism of traditional patterns.

As Team Ireland prepares to compete across multiple venues in the Milano Cortina Games – from the slopes of Bormio and Cortina to the trails of Predazzo and the halfpipe in Livigno – they'll carry with them not just the hopes of a nation, but centuries of Irish maritime tradition woven into every stitch.

The Games open with a ceremony in Milan on February 6, with competition beginning the following day when Cormac Comerford takes to the downhill course in Bormio. The closing ceremony will take place in Verona on February 22.