100,000 Worry Plaques sold globally by Irish Fairy Door

100,000 Worry Plaques sold globally by Irish Fairy Door

By Maurice Garvey

CLONDALKIN-based company The Irish Fairy Door Company have branched out to wellness products, in order to maintain their steady growth in global markets.

Established in 2013 by life-long friends Niamh Sherwin Barry and Aoife Lawler, along with their husbands Oisin and Gavin, the business model has become hugely successful.

Fairy Door with Award2

Having sold hundreds of thousands of fairy doors, the company have seen a huge demand for their wellness products.

Over 100,000 Worry Plaques – the firm’s first wellness product – has sold globally since it was launched in 2016.

The concept for wellness products was a direct response to feedback from parents, according to co-founder Niamh Sherwin Barry

“It’s been such a whirlwind,” said Ms Sherwin Barry, Director of TIFDC.

“The Worry Plaque was born very much from the feedback we were getting from parents around the world. Children had been sharing their worries with their fairies on a regular basis so it made sense to bring the concept on a step further.”

Although fairy doors remain the bread and butter of the business, Sherwin Barry says the company have seen a massive take up on their wellness’ products.

She continued: “As soon as the Worry Plaque went on sale, momentum started. All of a sudden, parents started to share their experiences. On quite a few occasions, it sold out both in Ireland and around the world.

“It was pretty evident we were meeting a need that many parents hadn’t even known existed. Lots of children are suffering with anxiety but the Worry Plaque enables them to put words on what was on their mind, and most importantly their parents could now help.”

This success has led to the company creating an appropriate follow-on product – The No More Worries Kit – which includes a feelings journal and “all-important” conversation cards.

Incredible

“Again, feedback has been incredible with one mother on Instagram saying she was ‘buying one for every child I know. The power of this is unreal.’ The difference with this kit as opposed to the Worry Plaque is that the mini plaque is so much smaller and can be attached to your schoolbag or pencil case, or you can also bring it in the car and let the fairies take your worries away, no matter where you are.”

The company, which employs 15 people at Fonthill Industrial Estate, have plans in place to introduce new wellness products to it’s existing range.

The firm have distributors in Ireland, the UK, the US, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and the UAE.

Statistically every second child in Ireland now has a fairy door in their home and TIFDC is now competing strongly in the international toy market.

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