Acorns, a scheme designed to support female entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland and run by the Department of Agriculture, is now taking applications for its next cycle which will run from October 2025 to April 2026.

BY HELEN RIDDELL

The six-month programme, whose ethos is that entrepreneurs learn best from each other, features monthly ‘round table’ meet-ups for participants, who are guided with the help of other established female entrepreneurs.

The programme is for those who live in rural Ireland (outside of the cities of Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford), and have already set up a business.

Some West Cork ladies have already completed the programme, with great and continued success, including Catherine Good of ‘The Good Dairy Company’, who has recently announced the news that her ice-cream is to be stocked in Aldi nationally.

Another successful graduate of the programme, Tara Mestre from Schull, launched ‘Wild Atlantic Wellness’ in 2023, offering natural aromatherapy products, yoga specifically for women, as well as ‘singing for wellbeing’ classes and retreats. Tara first heard about Acorns at a trade show in Dublin, and quickly realised how it could benefit her business.

‘What’s good about it is that provides peer-led support. The majority of women entrepreneurs are working on our own, and we don’t always have the opportunity to talk over our ideas’.

Meeting on a monthly basis, and the fact there are tasks to complete, added to the programme says Tara. ‘We were given tasks to work on each month, and meeting with the other women gave me a lot more clarity of what was working, and what wasn’t working for me in my business.’

Tara also enjoyed meeting women from a variety of rural business backgrounds: ‘There were physiotherapists in my group, someone was producing sportswear, someone else was doing bridalwear’.

‘I find I tend to hang out with very similar people, so it was nice to meet different people, and even though we were all at different stages, we were all experiencing the same issues, so it helps you to realise that you’re not alone. It gives you perspective and you realise that even when your business becomes successful, you still have to work at it.’

Acorns gave Tara more clarity in developing her business, she says, and encouraged her to try things. ‘The biggest thing I’ve got from Acorns is not to be scared. If you have an idea try it out and if it doesn’t work that’s fine. Sometimes, we forget that it’s OK for things not to work out, but you have to try.’

Tara Mestre, Wild Atlantic Wellness.

KINSALE MEAD

Standing in the footprint of the Great Mead Hall of Tara inspired Kate Dempsey and her husband Denis to leave their corporate jobs, and open Kinsale Mead, Ireland’s first Meadery in 200 years.

Now selling ten types of mead and stocked nationwide, Kate joined Acorns in 2019, meeting up with her group each month in Tralee. ‘Acorns gives you time to step back from the day-to-day operations and do a helicopter-view of how your business is going and how you’re doing things.’

What Kate found most useful was the peer-to-peer support.

‘You hear how other women have got to where they were, and what they had tried and what things didn’t work.’

Of particular interest to Kate was hearing how a woman launching a natural skincare range had rejected some products, as they didn’t fit into her ethos.

‘I really took that onboard as we have a huge sustainability issue with the mead, as we are completely reliant on having honey, and there are serious issues facing bees on a worldwide basis.’ Kate recommends Acorns to all women entrepreneurs, as ‘it helps you build a support network amongst your peers, and ultimately helps you develop your business.’

Learn how The Good Dairy Company have gone from strength-to-strength on page three of this week’s Southern Star.