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IT WAS WHILE studying product design in London that Jane ní Dhulchaointigh realised that making new things for consumers who already had more than enough wasn’t for her.
Rather than conjuring up yet another lamp, table or chair, the Kilkenny-raised inventor, who first studied sculpture in Dublin before leaving for the UK, wanted to create something that made an impact on people’s everyday lives.
“Part of my exploring product design led me to figure out that a lot of product design wasn’t needed, because we’ve got a lot of stuff already,” she told TheJournal.ie.
“I thought, what if you could find a way to inspire more people to solve problems for themselves?
That is what we’ve been like as human beings – we have had to figure out how to fix things and make things forever, but in the last couple of generations we have lost those skills as we have become more of a consumerist society.”
Ní Dhulchaointigh’s idea was for a sort of “space-age Play-Doh” – something as easy to work with as a child’s toy but with the power to fix almost anything.
More than a decade later, the firm she founded with that concept, Sugru, has reached over a million customers across the world.
Serious play
Earlier this week we reported the company had raised £3.55 million (€5 million) in equity crowdfunding through Crowdcube in a deal that values it at more than £27 million (€38 million).
With a name inspired by the Irish for “play”, Sugru has also been recognised as one of Time magazine’s top-50 inventions in 2010, its first year on the market.
Some impressive feats from a designer who, as Ní Dhulchaointigh readily admits, began as “just a student” with no science qualifications.
To turn her initial concept into a marketable commodity she teamed up with UK entrepreneur Roger Ashby, who brought with him a background in engineering and technology, and together they recruited two recently-retired experts from the silicone industry.
The next five years before Sugru went on sale were spent developing a viable product and bringing it to market.
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While the initial plan was to partner with a big company for the manufacturing or to take on some marketing responsibilities, in the end Ní Dhulchaointigh and her team elected to take advantage of the new-found opportunities in e-commerce and do it themselves.
Back in 2003, people were still worried about using their credit cards online. But we thought, OK, there could be a way to do it ourselves – and it’s the best thing we ever did. When we launched in 2009 it was brilliant because this whole online community really responded to it – and its popularity has grown from there.”
The new Super Glue
The end product is a glue-like silicone rubber that is malleable out of the packet and able to bond to most materials, but one that is also watertight, as well as heat and cold resistant, when cured.
Those properties mean it can be used for anything from making wall mounts and hooks to everyday household repairs.
With an ambition to make Sugru as ubiquitous a household and office product as duct tape, Super Glue or Post-it notes, the company has gone from selling through its own website to DIY retailers like B&Q and Homebase across the UK.
Most recently, it has expanded sales to the US, where the product is expected to be in 10,000 outlets by the end of the year.
Ní Dhulchaointigh said the overwhelming response to Sugru’s crowdfunding campaign – which reached more than triple its £1 million target – meant the company had the money to fuel its growth well into next year.
Beyond then, the next step could be partnering with a larger firm to reach an even bigger scale, there was also the chance of tapping its customers and supporters through the crowdfunding network again.
Things have changed a lot in that it’s possible for small companies to do big things now. It’s not necessarily the case that you need to be a huge company to operate at (a global) scale – it’s more about the speed of that growth and if the demand is more than you can handle. For us, it will be about whatever is right for the product.”
Creating another Sugru
After over 10 years developing her idea into a multimillion-euro brand, what advice does Ní Dhulchaointigh have for would-be makers with their own product ambitions? Firstly, you’ll need some staying power.
“Really spend time with the idea and really explore from different angles why you are doing it. To have that sort of stamina you have to really believe in the purpose of it – that it’s going to be worth doing and that you can be patient about it.”
And the next lesson once budding product designers know they have a useful idea on their hands? Put it out there.
Get users involved early on and see how they react to it – even if the feedback is totally negative, it will give you some really good insights.”
Ní Dhulchaointigh believes it is an exciting time for anyone innovating with physical products thanks to the instant ability to access the entire world through platforms like Kickstarter.
You can build a connected team of various skill sets that could be anywhere in the world. A lot of the maker movement is so global there is no reason why people wouldn’t think about making something, come up with a prototype and have it made in China within a week.”
“But we’re not like that,” she adds. “We’re a bit more traditional. Because we are designers, we found the quickest way to get something done right is to do it ourselves.”
On behalf of the women and girls I care about, I just want to thank Together For Yes and everyone else who put in their time and effort and fought a positive, compassionate and honest campaign, and of course our #HomeToVote heroes…
You were AMAZING!
@The Risen: you demolished every argument the no side posted here, fair play
@Fracko: but breaking the shackles of a callous church is
@Jeanette McDonald: yep. The crook has just fallen off the end of the crozier.
@Fracko: Nobody is celebrating abortion, it’s a terrible thing. But life isn’t always sunshine and lollipops, hard choices need to be made. These choices were still being made whether you like it not, just behind closed doors and in a dangerous way. That’s what we’re celebrating, the right to make a choice, without having to export Irish women.
@The Risen:
Seriously, he spent 24 hours a day here posting the same comment ad nauseum. The only people he convinced of anything were of the same mindset.
@Jeanette McDonald….why do liberals always have to get a dig in on the catholic church….the Bible hasn’t changed in thousands of years. Whether you believe in God or not is your own decision at the end of the day. The sins of fallible men and women should in no way lessen a person’s faith in God. What these evil priests and nuns did is completely an anathema to the message of love that Jesus preached. Just as aborting a healthy human being is. Today is officially the day that we can say Catholic Ireland is dead and gone. And anyone who voted yes and still proclaims themselves as a christian is deluding themselves. The hard cases could have been legislated for as it has been in other countries. I pity the poor doctors who have the unenviable task of murdering these innocent little human beings.
@The Risen:
The destruction of Human life in Utero is not something to celebrate. Life is precious.
@Jeanette McDonald: @Jeanette McDonald….why do liberals always have to get a dig in on the catholic church….the Bible hasn’t changed in thousands of years. Whether you believe in God or not is your own decision at the end of the day. The sins of fallible men and women should in no way lessen a person’s faith in God. What these evil priests and nuns did is completely an anathema to the message of love that Jesus preached. Just as aborting a healthy human being is. Today is officially the day that we can say Catholic Ireland is dead and gone. And anyone who voted yes and still proclaims themselves as a christian is deluding themselves. The hard cases could have been legislated for as it has been in other countries. I pity the poor doctors who have the unenviable task of murdering these innocent, healthy little human beings.
@Jack McGready: aka the vast majority.
@The Risen: You’re just a beacon of choice and liberty. Kill me now
@Fracko: The right to choice is.
@Jack McGready: And you’ve spent the last 16 hours so posting the same comment to anyone who praises him.
@Sean Farrell: don’t pity the doctors, the obstetrics. This is a get out of jail free card. They are no longer obliged to deliver a living baby. As long as the mother is alive that’s them off the hook. Most campaigned very vocally to have the right to life of the unborn removed from constitution. Happy days for them now. I would imagine a doctor preforming an abortion in exceptional circumstances to save a life or for psychiatric reasons will have a clear conscience (as it should be).
@Pajo Mata: absolutely untrue. Medical negligence will still be a thing. Campaign is over, you can stop lying now.
@Pajo Mata: Another small minded comment from another anonymous fantasist. Yawn.
@The Risen: can you not take a break.
@Dave O Keeffe: did the people just remove the right to life of the unborn or not?
@Pajo Mata: such crap !
@The Risen: compassionate murder? Wow. How you all are any better than Hitler?! You better hope there is no God.
@monika: There is none.
@Billy Heffernan: He’s a Zayn in the arse
@Pajo Mata: You might have got more votes if you focused on the right to life of the woman. Our sisters, mothers, nieces, daughters, friends and workmates. Instead you kept talking about imaginary foetuses that nobody knows.
@Jeanette McDonald: 74% of voters were Catholic. Please thank members of the RC church for delivering a yes vote.
@monika: Says the anonymous coward
@The Risen: fair play to you pal. Your dedication is appreciated. I applaud you
@John McQuaid:
Countless scholars, mathematicians and philosophers, great minds over the last few millennia, over different ages state that there is some form of creator… Then we have you with “There is none” lol, human degeneracy right there.
@Larissa Caroline Nikolaus: My name is Monika, for me it sounds like a name don’t you think so? Or you are that stupid?Coward? At least I can rise my child in spite of life obstacles and not murder it because I’m in “crisis” or ashamed and like many of you, to protect your reputation sneak to UK to murder a child. So who is the real coward?
@Pajo Mata: the unborn can’t sue moron. It’s the parents that would take the action for loss and damages due to negligence. You really are thick
@Fracko: I agree but the right to choose definitely is
So now about those schools…
@Seth Cheffetz:
… and hospitals, and getting the reparation payment money, removing blasphemy law and maybe de-criminalising assisted suicide to allow the infirm to chose the timing and conditions of their exit.
@Seth Cheffetz:
For sure we now need to vote on euthanasia, assisted suicide and the death sentence.
@Lily: first 2 I would vote for
@Lily: and the legalisation of cannibis
@Lily: yes because discriminating against children based on if they had a magic man sprinkle magic water on them is definitely something we should support…
@Seth Cheffetz: I’d vote for the 1st two. Who are you to tell me I can’t end my life if that’s my wish?
@Seth Cheffetz: Something went wrong there! That was for @Lily
@Seth Cheffetz: I’ll take all of the above and a border poll too thanks, heading in the right direction for a Reunified Ireland.
@Incognito: They can keep that dive above. We couldn’t police that war zone if we wanted to.
@Seth Cheffetz: Yeah. Tell me this though, if the nipper wakes at 3 in the morning, and I pray to Jesus she goes back to sleep, am I still an atheist?
@Seth Cheffetz: Those first two would be fantastic.
@Seth Cheffetz: and lets get the crime of blasphemy out too.
@Stephen McManus: 74% of voters were Catholic. You should be thanking RC church members.
No speakers now on rte1 saying process rigged and playing the victim unbelievable
@bmul: Wondered how long that would take. Which of them was it? Sherlock? Mullen? Ascough?
@Ciara Baines: lol I saw that, the No side are so salty in defeat. The bit I am really enjoying about all this is not only will we have abortion but the No side will be paying for it from their taxes.
@Ciara Baines: Mattie . After months if warninhs about what the vote would mean the no side are now attacking there planned legislation to change having said that couldn’t be done .
@bmul: His constituency voted YES! I’d say his mood has worsened quite a bit :)
@Ciara Baines: Mattie’s political career is about to be aborted hopefully.
@bmul: I can just about understand how some Tipperary people vote for Mattie, but how can graduates vote Mullen back onto the Seanad repeatedly? Are those votes counted in public or do the Knights of Colombanus run that election?
@Squiddley Diddley: Mullen will not be elected again in Galway Grass Roots already planning his retirement
@bmul: Can you explain why he still has that seat. Are Galway graduates that conservative?
@Squiddley Diddley: I no many graduates but very few bother to vote but I no plenty that will be voting next time
@bmul: The West’s Awake! Thanks
@bmul: sounds like the No aftermath of the CB debate.
@Inanimate Carbon Rod: What a nasty comment. Yes side won but stop celebrating the loss of life.
Now will all the TD’s and Senators who continue to say they will not support this legislation, even though their constituents support it, kindly step down or resign from office. You are out of touch and don’t represent the voters .
@Brian Smith: well two-thirds of them anyway, call it voluntary redundancy first to see what happens.
@Brian Smith: All the No vote conspiracy theorists were right when they spoke about Brexit and Trump, you can’t trust the polls, it was a LAAAANDSLIDE!
@Brian Smith: do TD’s and Senators not have a right to a personal decision, whether it deemed right or wrong. Are they not citizens also.
@Rory: They are public representatives- there is a clue in the title.
And regulate foreign funded & fanatical religious lobby posing as an Institute. The only cure they are working on is removing as much human rights as possible.
It’s time for supporters of the No campaign, like myself, to accept the result and move on to making our island a better place. The people have spoken.
@Daniel Donovan: well said
@Daniel Donovan: this result is making Ireland a better country
@Daniel Donovan: Agree Daniel but it’s so sad that anyone is celebrating this result. Respect will not go amiss!
Well i love all my children imperfections and all, never thought i,d see the day women celebrating the killing of Innocent Healthy sons and daughters. YOU have all been brainwashed into thinking having any more than 2 children is a negative, Very sad day
@Elvis Polkasalad: nobody is celebrating that. We’re still aware that many women are still going to face difficult choices. What we’re celebrating is that at least we’ll have given them a few more options in making those choices.
@Elvis Polkasalad: Liberals will hail this as being progressive. Read the story of Sodom and Gomorrah and compare it to what is happening today and you will see that humans as a species have regressed thousands of years. Real progress would be no more killing, income equality, no homelessness, no corruption….etc. The only comfort I take from all this is that what is taking place today was forecast in the book of Revelations. Let each person wrestle with their own conscience. And if you believe it’s all a big fairy story that’s well and good. Just don’t belittle and demean others for their beliefs.
@Sean Farrell: is that story in the fuction section of my local book shop ?
@bmul: And on cue the pathetic, belittling atheist wanders by.
@Elvis Polkasalad: Don’t you mean celebrating women being allowed decide what to do with their own bodies?
@Elvis Polkasalad: shouldn’t you be working on lobbying the government for the legislation you want instead of whinging?
@Dave O Keeffe:
Lobbying is a new concept for the No side. They ain’t holding the cards anymore and the bad news for them is they’ve burned every bridge in the country.
@Elvis Polkasalad: you misunderstand what we are celebrating. We are celebrating the fact that no teenage girl in a crisis pregnancy needs to worry about how to travel abroad or where to seek advice and help, we are celebrating that a woman with cancer who becomes pregnant has the choice to get the best possible care in her own country, we are celebrating because unfortunately, there is such a thing a fatal foetal abnormality and now the parents can choose whether to carry to term or end their own and their expectant babies suffering, we are celebrating that no more women have to die because of the 8th. We are celebrating dignity and respect. The only purpose the 8th served was to punish and control us. Put yourself in our shoes. RIP Savita, we will never forget you.
@nicky vera Will healthy women abort healthy unborn children? how many recorded deaths of pregnant women have there been because of the 8th
@Elvis Polkasalad: i will have had no role in the killing of Innocent Healthy unborn sons or daughters when they are killed and flushed into the sewers, can you say the same? When you voted yes you voted to the killing of HEALTHY unborn children, Shame on you . HEALTHY pregnant women aborting Healthy sons and daughters .
@Elvis Polkasalad: well last year alone I think there were thousands of traumatized women travelling abroad because they couldn’t get what is essentially basic health care in Ireland.
@Elvis Polkasalad: one is too many! Also, I trust women to do what is best for them. I voted yes to give people a choice they do not have here. Do you really, seriously think that nearly 70% of the population believe in murder? Abortion is not murder and stop shaming women – we are equal to you not less than!
@Elvis Polkasalad: yes i do believe that 70 % believe in murder of innocent unborn children , what do you call it when a perfectly healthy unborn life is taking delibratly. Will perfectly healthy unborn children be killed?
@Elvis Polkasalad: NickyVera….keep telling yourself that. According to the Oxford dictionary, abortion is technically murder. “the premeditated killing of one human being by another”. Is a developing foetus at 12 weeks a human being? Absolutely. Is abortion premeditated? Absolutely. Therefore, abortion is murder. Ok, I have deliberately left out the word unlawful in the definition of murder, but just because it’s signed into law because a liberal majority think it’s ok to slaughter innocent, defenceless human beings in their mothers womb, that doesn’t make it any less reprehensible.
@Kendra Jackson: the little lives who will perish will never have a choice, they don’t even have a right to life. Our cats now have more rights.
@Sean O Fearghaille: That’s not what the Oxford dictionary says unless you twist the definition to suit your agenda.
Hi Sean ; i pity your cats..
@Seán Ó Fearghaille: no it isn’t, I’m perfectly capable of checking the oxford definition and that’s not what it says.
@Sean…that’s not what it says.
Weird things I’ve seen people on the No side ”twist”: Beethoven’s mother, dictionary definitions, ferry pricing. Just check a wiki or something….
It’s the right result in a horribly fought referendum. Let’s hope the government can put in place the right way to go about this
@Tommy D: and make a push for contraception to be made available to all
While the result might be the right one for the country it is by no means a cause for jovial celebration. This is an important day for Ireland and a serious one, but there should be no partying as a result of it.
@Dublin Rover: of course it is reason to celebrate, the Irish people have just told the Catholic Church to shove their dogma up their hole
@Inanimate Carbon Rod: this has nothing to do with the church. If your problem is with deities do u think the devil or god is happier about unrestricted abortion…
@Mags Murphy: sorry to see you lost Mags, your Church is no longer relevant. The people have spoken so it’s time to suck it up
@Inanimate Carbon Rod: most intelligent peoplr voted yes to allow women choice, that argument i can understand if not agree on. A few like yourself voted yes, to punish the church for hurting innocent children, by voting yes to abort/hurt innocent children. If it was only.about the church why did many atheists vote yes. Cop yourself on!!
@Mags Murphy: Can I lick your salty tears Magz
@Inanimate Carbon Rod: No atheists or agnostics voted no ?
@Inanimate Carbon Rod: people didn’t vote yes so that the could stick it the church .I doubt there was many who even thought about the Catholic church while making their decision ..except for some elderly people maybe .
@Mags Murphy: it’s everything to do with the Catholic Church and if your God was so worried about children dying wouldn’t God do something about all the children dying in poverty and from starvation
Fair enough to be satisfied with the result but is it really appropriate to be jumping up and down and cheering? It’s very distasteful. A lot of people voted yes with a heavy heart believing it was the only way to help the hard cases. This is a serious issue and shouldn’t be taken lightly. It’s not a reason for a party.
@Newto2016: Will the YES side accept the result :) Have they just said abortion is illegal after 12 weeks? considering this has been flouted it might actually be an improvement after all.
hopefully euthanasia next and a drug policy like portugal. Liberation all the way, why stop now, Go Ireland!
@Sean Thornton: we also need to work on getting the church out of our schools and hospitals
Sure they can now paint the streets red, literally!
Just wonder what history will make of this day in 100/200/300 years time.
@Lily: just curious. How many children in foster care have you taken in?
@Lily: sorry you’ve lost your grip of sticking your nose in other peoples lives, you’d have done well running the magdalen laundry’s
@Lily: At least your posts today are a change from you telling us about your amazing life and how great a mother you are. Pleasant break.
@Ciara Baines: oh yes. I feel I could write her biography and I have never even met her
Very big margin in Dublin Central
@Mr_Tuxedo: plenty of teen pregnancies there. Darndale and other working class areas likewise.
@El Diego: actually if you bothered to check the statistics you would know that teenage pregnancy is at an all time low
@Michael Walsh: yes indeed, thanks to the legalisation of contraception and proper sex education in the schools, both measures opposed by the likes of the Iona Institute and their pals
Heartbroken today I really am. I really thought the advances in sonogram technology would have made a difference as to how people look at abortion, it’s so easy to see that the fetus is a living, moving baby. But I guess people would rather close their eyes to reality so long as they get to virtue signal about how progressive they are, and have unprotected sex with no consequences.
@A Curious Mind: couples ate still going to use protection because of the risk of unwanted pregnancy . Nobody wants to have to go through an abortion .
@A Curious Mind: can you go back now pls to whatever country you’re really from, and stop bothering us with your fake twitter account?
@A Curious Mind: eh no they would rather, their Mother’s, sister’s, aunt’s, niece’s, friends etc have proper safe health care in pregnancy in their own country
We will need to update our psychiatric services now that we have a yes vote.
@Peg kilmurray: there’s no such thing as mental illness according to your spokesman Ronan Mullen.
Great stuff Ireland. So glad I got home to vote in this. With recent elections in both the US, UK and others showing an older electorate pushing their countries agenda it’s amazing to see the youth of Ireland energised and forging ahead driving the country into the light.
@Eddie Hekenui: a lot of us oldies are fighting hard too:)
@Eddie Hekenui: And fair play to you. Sorry if that came across me as putting down oldies. Just love seeing young people energised, voting and having their say. Too often young people don’t get involved. A country is a better place when it’s a true representation of it’s population. Young, old, men, women and of all points of view.
A great day for women’s rights, a great day for the people of Modern Ireland!
Proud to be Irish!!!
Journal Staff, can you not stick up a graphic for how the country is voting as a whole in numbers.
That’s some spot on Leo’s head
Jack.
You mean the 70% of us.
If they are the ones you are talking about, count me in!!!!!!
Fab atmosphere here in Dublin castle. Great mix of people as well.
Religious nutters and backward culchies seething
@Jonny: Even the culchies are voting Yes.. Even feckin Roscommon are onside.
I have worked with, school with, friends with people whom some I care for very much but the vast majority had very hard life’s either living with a parent whom really never bonded with or loved them, or where adopted by people whom did it for the wrong reasons,
They ended up with so many problems drugs, drink, abuse etc…
Yes there good and bad in all walks ,
But the vast majority of no people would call these children bas ters ect… Would treat them badly because there mother/father made a mistake.
So many by religion or family are forced to keep / to give to addoption or made marry a man.
All because of a imagery person in the sky or because of keeping up with the Jones, a woman is forced to live her life because of people’s ideas is wrong for both.
Sometimes you have to scarfice a life for another life to be lived.
If God were true he would want equal love and happiness.
My final prediction is 66.6% yes. That will drive the godly folk mental!!
Question: why a liveblog if there is another page that has the results earlier?
@Cathal o’Lughaidh: The earlier one was the tallies
Simon Harris milking it for all it’s worth.
Vomit.
@Jack McGready: I would not be surprise if you’re talking about our future Taoiseach there…
@Jack McGready: Simon Harris has every right to be proud of his efforts during this campaign. Stop being so bitter.
@Jack McGready: simon Harris should be resigning not celebrating. He botched the cervical cancer scandal which has harmed women. He and Leo should both be stepping down not patting themselves on the back for a job well done.
Sad day. Made all the sadder with the disgraceful whooping and cheering. Legalised abortion – the killing of another human being, is not something to celebrate. I wonder how quickly some people who voted yes today will come to regret that decision
I know it’s a great day for many people but don’t let this distract ye that the country is still in shambles and imploding due to the government being totally incompetent at there jobs..hope this doesn’t give them another term cause they jumped on the yes bus.hospitals,homeless,taxes,insurance..scandal after scandal.
@Craig Clancy: cop on , there’s some things not great but this country is far from falling apart
Allahu akbar
Now can we address the housing and rental debacle
That’s great get your flags out sing a few songs have a few drinks to celebrate the killing and not giving a chance to tens of thousands of lives.As time goes by you will realize your immature decision
This is not going to help Women’s Health one iota. The current state of the health service in this country. The mess Harris and Co are making with health in general. How many thousands of extra specialist jobs must be created to cope? The expected avalanche of abortion procedures and requests, palliative care etc… will happen in the very near future. This on top of an already heavily burdened health service. Seems people have a very short memory when it comes to remembering how bad a job the government is doing at running the health service.
After yesterdays vote, It’s good that women finally have a choice and I welcome it. But not in a way that makes me want to sing and dance, as was shown today in Dublin Castle. It turns my gut when I stop to think and realize, that the vast vast majority of abortions carried out will be purely the result of lifestyle choices and not on real medical grounds. I believe the voters of Ireland have been hoodwinked by political leaders and liberal media into thinking the only solution to the problem of women’s health during pregnancy should also include the termination of perfectly healthy baby’s.
I have compassion for the hard cases, for the 2% of pregnancy’s that will now result in abortion due to fetal abnormality. Or the less than 1% due to rape or incest etc…, the less than 1% to save the mothers life, the 1% for the sake of the already born children. And indeed I have sympathy for the women who have suffered multiple miscarriage’s and had to make a choice of Yes or No in the form of a capital X. What about the rest? So it was with a heavy heart that I voted NO.
Simply put, our government choose to give us the cheapest option to vote on. Not the best. We got the all encompassing kill’em all option or nothing. A chance was taken with the ensuing hysteria from both sides, politicians changed their mind’s to get on the side of the popular votes and the other political parties and liberal media followed suit. Now the government have full control on how abortion will be performed in this country. No longer will they have to hoodwink the public regarding this issue, and no doubt, like they do with all other health matters, they’ll make a total shambles of it. Dare I say it, we handed it to them, blood stained silver platter and all.
@David OShea: well said , its a sad day
Let’s get this party started. DJ Brid Smith on the decks. First song up €19.99 AD.
@El Diego: lame
I’m so proud of our little country. Yes for same marriage for everyone and now a yes for our women. I’m a little bit prouder today to be Irish. Yes for our women and yes for choice. Not everyone need a to be forced into the choice I made when faced with an unplanned pregnancy.
Why are they waiting until after the national announcement until they release the results from the last 3 constituencies? #repealthe8th
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