Fairy Doors and Fancy Film

At the beginning of their journey, the founders of the Irish Fairy Door Company were determined to do one thing: to ‘slow down’ the fast paced screen life of our children. They recognized that “little people are part of a cyber age, but we desperately wanted to balance their experiences so that they could search online for inspiration but also in their own little minds.”

In 2013, best friends Niamh Barry and Aoife Lawler started the Irish Fairy Door Company with the idea of bringing some extra magic into children’s lives. Five years later, their products are in over a million homes all over the world.

The Fairy Door might appear to be merely a cute knickknack, but it’s much more than a passive decoration. Children are encouraged to interact with their fairies regularly by writing them notes once a week. Every Friday, the child receives an update from Queen Kate in Fairyland, asking them to do something in relation to their fairy. In return, the fairies blow away bad dreams and generally bring good luck.

One piece of advice Barry and Lawler have for future entrepreneurs is to find people to work with who share your passion. They came up with their business idea, and were joined by their husbands, who have business backgrounds but were unemployed due to the recession at the time.They’re also very proud that their products are made in Ireland and are gender-neutral.

From small beginnings (Barry’s mum gave them €8,500, which she had saved by giving up smoking, to get started) has come enormous growth. In 2018, the Canadian firm, DHX Media, along with the network WildBrain, committed to bringing the magic of the Irish Fairy Door Company to life on screen. It will be the subject of an engaging, inspiring children’s animation series which will feature three to four mythical creatures. Live action videos and a YouTube channel will also be created as part of the deal.

Fairies Forever!

Sources

• https://www.theirishfairydoorcompany.com/
• https://www.irishtimes.com/business/manufacturing/fairy-doors-are-not-a-toy-they-re-an-experience-1.2276545
• https://www.irishcentral.com/culture/entertainment/irish-fairy-door-animation-deal