Media Release

22 September 2026

DUBLIN CITY BUSINESS GETS TO SHINE AT PLOUGHING 2026

Dublin City business The Wonky Woolins got the opportunity to showcase their business to almost a quarter of a million people at last week’s National Ploughing Championships.  They were a part of the Local Enterprise Offices’ Local Enterprise Village which was open across the three days of the event.

 Supported by the Local Enterprise Office Dublin City, The Wonky Woolins is a multi-award-winning children's brand of ethically handmade and heirloom quality children's toys and baby gifts. Working in partnership with non-profit organisations, social enterprises and fair-trade manufacturers, the company employs more than 150 women from marginalised communities worldwide, providing fair wages and access to educational opportunities through the production of The Wonky Woolins products.

 Chloe Gardiner, founder of The Wonky Woolins, said: “Exhibiting at the National Ploughing Championships this year was an incredible experience for The Wonky Woolins. With the support of the Local Enterprise Office Dublin City, we brought our handmade toys to one of the biggest events in the country. In the lead-up to the show, we appeared on Ireland AM and featured in the Sunday Independent, and at the event, we met countless people who knew us from social media and came to meet us in person for the first time, putting faces to a brand they had been following online. We completely sold out of stock by day two and returned on day three to take pre-orders from customers still keen to buy. It was a powerful reminder of just how strong our online community really is, and how much it means to meet the people behind the support in person. I am so grateful for the opportunity to showcase The Wonky Woolins at the National Ploughing Championships and to the Local Enterprise Office for making this possible.”

 WARREN CRAY, HEAD OF ENTERPRISE AT LOCAL ENTERPRISE OFFICE DUBLIN, said: “The Local Enterprise Office Dublin City is very proud to have had Chloe Gardiner of The Wonky Woolins represent us at this year’s National Ploughing Championships. The event gives businesses an unrivalled opportunity to present their product to a large and diverse audience attending the Championships, engage directly with customers and make valuable connections. We are committed to supporting businesses at every stage of their journey, and the success of this year’s event once again highlights the vital role that the Local Enterprise Offices play in supporting businesses to grow and reach new markets.  

The Local Enterprise Village was home to 30 Local Enterprise Office supported small businesses from across the country highlighting very best of Irish enterprise from clothing craft and artisanal food to bovine genetics and woodwork machinery to the 243,000 who attended.

 This year the Local Enterprise Village included a Business Advice Hub for any budding entrepreneurs or existing businesses who were able to get advice from the Local Enterprise Offices Specialist Business Advisors.  So, for anyone who had a business idea that wanted to figure out how to get it off the ground or for someone with an existing business who wanted advice on funding, sustainability or building digital and AI into their business there were advisors on hand meeting businesses across the three days.

 The Local Enterprise Village again hosted the Google AI team this year following on from the success of the Google area in 2025 with their experts helping visitors and business owners across the week with their expertise on making AI work for you and your business. 

 The Enterprise Europe Network were also in the Village for the first time, giving advice to businesses who wanted to begin looking at new markets across the EU and building relationships with international businesses.      

 The Local Enterprise Village will return to the National Ploughing Championships in 2027 when they move to Rathangan in Kildare from the 21-23 of September, moving a week later to accommodate the Ryder Cup.  Any small businesses interested in taking part in next year's Local Enterprise Village should contact their Local Enterprise Office. 

 The Local Enterprise Village is just one of a number of initiatives that the Local Enterprise Offices run, to foster entrepreneurship across the country. Others include Local Enterprise Week, the National Enterprise Awards, the Student Enterprise Programme, National Women’s Enterprise Day and Local Enterprise Showcase. The Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities are funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland. Established in 2014, the Local Enterprise Offices are the essential resource for any entrepreneur looking to start a business or any small business that is looking for support or advice to help them grow. Since their inception twelve years ago, the Local Enterprise Offices have helped create over 80,000 jobs across the country. The LEOs work with thousands of client companies across Ireland in a diverse range of sectors offering mentoring, training, expert advice and financial supports to small businesses. For more information see www.LocalEnterprise.ie

ENDS

For further information:

Dublin City Council Media Relations Office

press@dublincity.ie 

OR

Local Enterprise Office Dublin City

T: (01) 222 5611

E: info@leo.dublincity.ie