Breda O’Flaherty follows her artistic dream
Old buildings, what are they good for? Well if you are Breda O’Flaherty, an artist living in County Cavan, they can also be a truly tremendous source of inspiration.
Breda’s artwork is inspired by the landscapes, old buildings and wildlife of Ireland. Created using pastel and coloured pencil and are framed behind glass for their protection. Breda can literally bring a little of Old Ireland into your space.
“My passion for all things art started when I was in school,” Breda explains, “I would sit listening to music whilst sketching the album covers or pictures of my favourite bands.
“In the early 1990s, whilst in the States, a friend brought home a few interior design magazines and I was hooked. Over the years I have taken courses in painting and drawing and developed my skills.”
The dream to be an artist and designer has been with Breda a long time. It drove her to leave an insurance job back in 2010 to go back to college to study interior design.
“I graduated from Griffith College in 2014, but at the time Ireland was emerging from a long recession and the only jobs on offer, were internships. So I ended up back in a ‘day job’, this time as an accounts assistant.”
However, the dream to be an artist and designer never went away, and here she is today, a great example to follow your dream, introducing Breda O’Flaherty Studio. It’s been a long time coming but I know I am on the right path.
Breda O’Flaherty, an artist living in Co Cavan, whose artwork is inspired by the landscapes, old buildings and wildlife of Ireland.
And being in such a positive place, Breda is of course already counting down the days to the ploughing Championships and her moment to showcase her work in the Enterprice Village.
“I am really looking forward to the Ploughing,” Breda tells me “I’ve never been before and it’s such an iconic event in Ireland.
“This is my first year in business and I’m so grateful for the help and support I’m receiving from The Local Enterprise Office.
“Their courses are wonderful and I hope to be taking advantage of their mentoring program going forward.”
And the work artist who creates original art based on derelict buildings, Landscapes, and the wildlife of Ireland can also be viewed online at www.bredaoflahertystudio.com
Seeing the light
Christine Scully is from Tinryland, a small village in County Carlow. Christine is the proud owner and creator of Home Glow soy candles and wax melts. She began maufacturing the marvels in June 2021.
Christine tells us how it all began. “As a teenager I was quite sporty, but I did have a creative side and appreciated arts and crafts.
“When I was just 14 years old, I bought a candle making kit from a craft store in Kilkenny. This became my hobby for that whole summer. “Every day making and experimenting with the wax and moulds. I loved the whole process of making my own candle from start to finish.”
When Covid hit Ireland back in 2020 and the country went into shutdown, Christine moved from Dublin back home to Carlow and found herself with an unexpected amount of free time.
“Initially I used my free time to spring clean, during which I gathered up all used candle jars around my home house.
“Remembering how much I enjoyed making candles as a child, I started working with the left-over wax in the old candle jars.
Aoife Nic Ghiolla Coda of the Galtee honey Galtee Honey farm, in Co Tipperary, home to 200 colonies of Native Irish Black Honey Bees.
“I was excited about the process and started by melting left over wax at the bottom of the candle jars. It was great bringing an old hobby back to life.”
This was the start of her candle making business and was how Home Glow was created.
Today, Christine has an array of scented soy wax candles presented in glass containers with an elegant clear vinyl label, allowing the flame to be seen from all angles. Added and encouraged by Carlow LEO it is clearly a business with a bright future.
And you will be able see her full range at this years ploughing event at the Enterprise village. Alternatly you can check out her Home glow display at:
www.HomeGlow.ie
Milk on the go with URBÓ
The Farrelly family from Crossakiel County Meath are the brains and the brawn behind URBÓ Milk.
Which is a range of natural, protein milk drinks, produced in County Meath using only natural ingredients and packaged in 250 ml recyclable cans. A grab and go milk drink if you like, using whole milk directly from the family farm and naturally treated to extend it’s shelf life.
But unlike other milk drinks that you might see in the dairy section in shops, URBÓ has now taken it’s place alongside cans of refreshing drinks and other convenience beverages in stores,
The company is already supplying many stores across Leinster with it’s cold brew coffee flavoured milk and the plan is to extend the range as far as the eye can see. Helped along the way by Meath Local Enterprise Office.
So if you are at the ploughing and are ‘on the go’ and in need of a pick up, why not drop in to say hi and indeed to throw back a can. URBÓ could be just the drink you need.
The sweet smell of Success
Nestled just at the edge of the picturesque Glengarra Wood in the Galtee Vee Valley, is Galtee Honey farm. Home to 200 colonies of Native Irish Black Honey Bees.
Established by Micheál Mac Giolla Coda in 1970 after he decided to continue the family tradition, and to breed the Native Black Honey Bee of Ireland which were at one time under threat of extinction.
The skills and the knowledge that he acquired over the years has been handed down to his 6 children, including his daughter Aoife who officially took over Galtee Honey Farm in 2013.
Her children, Hannah and Micheál, are currently learning about bees and beekeeping. Micheál and Aoife are both certified beekeeping lecturers.
They teach beekeeping skills to others through lectures, beginners courses and workshops at beekeeping clubs around Ireland.
The bees on Galtee Honey Farm collect honey from a variety of flora, which can include blackberry blossom, dandelion, hawthorn, white clover, horse chestnut, sycamore and ling and bell heather and ivy blossom, plus many other minor flowers which they collect from.
Christine Scully, from Tinryland, Co Carlow, owner and creator of Home Glow soy candles and wax melts.
This multitude of flowers, gives the honey, an all pure Irish honey, it’s complexity of flavour. From the bees they harvest Wildflower honey, Ivy honey and Heather & Ivy honey.
The farm’s honey is a quality artisan food, and also a health food. No sugar has been added to our honey. The honey is not pasteurised or overheated. Many imported and supermarket honeys are pasteurised.
Honey is a natural antiseptic. It can help heal the throat, the stomach, cuts and burns. It contains flavonoids and antioxidants. It has traces of pollen which can even help alleviate symptoms of hay-fever. Sure who could ask for more?
All the honey produced by the farm’s Native Black Honey Bees is fully traceable back to the farm. And the business has been very fortunate to receive many awards for it’s honey, including Irish Food Awards and Irish Artisan Food Awards. Helped again, along the path by it’s Local Enterprise Office Galtee Honey Farm is yet again another great example of how nature and business can work together paving the way for sweet success.
n The Enterprise Village will definitely be a much visited stand at this year’s National Ploughing Championships, which takes place in Screggan, Tullamore, Co Offaly from 16-18 September.