Visit to the Dragons' Den is a "breeze" for local man

A wheelchair and a puppy helped Tullamore resident Noel Joyce come up with an idea that has become a viable business. Following a successful appearance on popular programme Dragons' Den late last week, he's now gotten support for that business from successful businessman Sean O'Sullivan. On the RTÉ show shown on April 29, O'Sullivan offered Noel a €33,000 cash injection in return for a third of his business Breezy Gardening. Speaking to the dragons Noel explained that following an accident his army career was cut short and he became wheelchair bound. "As a wheelchair user I can't get down to the ground, so I garden in pots which I put at a height I can reach," he explained. The introduction of a chocolate labrador puppy called Charlie who loved to wreak havoc in the garden was what pushed Noel, who re-trained as a product designer, to design a new type of gardening pot that can be easily attached to garden fences at any height. "I realised Charlie wasn't going to change his habits and that I had to come up with a solution to the problem," he said. "That's how the Breezy Gardening plant holder came about." After initially looking for €33,000 for 17% of his company, Noel was happy to accept the offer made by Kinsale-based businessman Sean O'Sullivan. "I think it'll be a great fit because he seems to have the genuine enthusiasm for the range," he said after his successful pitch, adding that he "can't wait to work with Sean". Meanwhile, the feeling appears to be similar on the dragon's side. "You've done the whole shooting match from product design to sales - I respect the hell out of that," Mr O'Sullivan said on the Dragons' Den episode. "Noel is an amazing guy," he said later. "He's a classic entrepreneur; that's why I was interested in backing Noel." Since last Sunday's show was recorded in late February Noel has been working with two of Mr O'Sullivan's business partners in order to create awareness of his product and press on with distributing it to retail outlets. This weekend his gardening pots will be available in Tullamore in outlets including Cloonan's, BDH in the Tanyard and the Bridge Centre. Noel said this week he's also hoping the pots will be available countrywide over the coming months and encouraged anyone interested in stocking them to get in touch via his website. So far he said his involvement with Mr O'Sullivan has been all positive. "You couldn't ask for a better person to be involved with," he said. "The contacts that they have and their knowledge of the business world is incredible." Noel hasn't forgotten his roots either. Working with DesignHub from the Innovation Centre in Offaly County Council's building in Tullamore, he said he hopes that what he's learned can help other local projects. "We want to use the experience that we gained from doing this to help other people," he explained, inviting anyone with an idea to get in touch through the Designhub website. More information on Noel and his Breezy Gardening plant pots can be found at www.breezygardening.com.