Hip Hop dancing Dublin Rose on creating a viral bridal business
Rosie and Dott founder Siobhéal Nic Eochaidh speaks with Sínann Fetherston about the ups and downs of running a business, and the new Makers Academy.
In 2011, Siobhéal Nic Eochaidh represented Dublin in the Rose of Tralee, becoming a viral sensation thanks to the hip-hop dance routine she performed in the dome.
Although she lost the crown to the Queensland Rose that year, Siobhéal was a hit with audiences and walked away with fond memories and great friendships.
So much so that she named her business after it: Rosie and Dott.
The Rosie is for the Rose of Tralee, while Dott is to honour one of her fellow competitors and good friends, Dorothy Henggeler, who sadly passed away in 2014.
"It was Brian, my husband, who came up with the name, which is obviously such a big part of the brand," Siobhéal tells me of the handbag, jewellery, and bridal accessory site.
"Dott was so outgoing, she loved to be glam, and she was just the best craic, and loved everything about the Rose of Tralee. It was just a good fit."
The inspiration for the business came from Siobhéal's love of glamour, her upcoming wedding, and the financial burden of saving for a home.
Despite hailing from a family of entrepreneurs (her dad ran his own business for 40 years, and her sister founded The Irish Fairy Door Company), the Dublin woman says she never planned on making the brand her full-time earner. At the time, she was just hoping for some extra cash.
"It started from my box room," she smiles. "We had money from our savings, and my mam and dad gave me, like, €500 or something."
"I never had any intention of it being what it is now."
After successfully sourcing manufacturers and selling a number of necklaces online via a Facebook page, Siobhéal found herself running a successful side-hustle for the coming three years.
She insists it could have remained that way had she not been made redundant from her full-time job just six months before her wedding. With financial pressures building, she decided to go all in on Rosie and Dott in January of 2020.
Although things felt doomed at the time, Siobhéal looks back fondly at her journey, insisting that everything happens for a reason.
"I was running Rosie and Dott from my box room in Kildare, and my mam and dad were doing all the shipping from my old bedroom in their house in Clondalkin."
These days, the business is running from an office in Rathcoole, but she says that it's very much still a family operation.
"Still, to this day, it's mam and dad that pack our orders," she smiles. "And my sister Niamh looks after customer care and accounts."
Small but mighty, Rosie and Dott has thrived over the years, with customers following Siobhéal's ups and downs online, and becoming her biggest cheerleaders.
"We share a lot online about the journey," she agrees. "I'd be quite honest about the downside of things as well as the upside. I find that people really love that, and they become very invested in the daily stuff and struggles."
One video in particular, outlining the cash flow issues that can come with running an independent business, garnered 138k views.
The comment section was flooded with supportive messages, but the vulnerability of sharing the intimate details of her career was no mean feat.
"I find that things going viral is really scary," she insists. "It was very different in 2011, when I did a hip hop dance on the Rose of Tralee as my talent. That was my only experience of going viral. That really scared me because you feel like, oh God, you've really opened yourself up to the world.
"Even though we post online all the time now, you don't appreciate what it's like when things do well."
"I'm glad I did it," she adds, explaining that keeping her products affordable was always a top priority for the founder, who knows all too well what it is to struggle with a wedding budget.
Reflecting on her success, Siobhéal says that, although every day has a moment of overwhelm, she wouldn't trade it for the world.
Running a business like Rosie and Dott isn't simply about selling a product; it's about becoming knowledgeable in marketing, retail, finance, customer service, people management, and much more.
Of course, this becomes much more manageable when you have guidance from those further up the ladder.
For those looking to get the same kind of support, and as a Kilkenny Design ambassador, she suggests applying to the Makers Academy.
Created by Kilkenny Design and the Local Enterprise Offices, the Makers Academy is a new national initiative that aims to help local makers and designers scale from creative talent to commercial success.
The Makers Academy will bring together up to 25 local makers and designers through a structured programme of workshops, mentoring and business coaching covering areas including retail readiness, pricing and profitability, ecommerce, branding, marketing, export growth, sustainability and founder development.
"If you feel on your own or you don't have people to turn to, I think it's just unreal to have your hand held," says Siobhéal. "Even just to get you to the point where you understand a bit more about retail."
Applications for the inaugural Kilkenny Design Makers Academy close on Friday, 26 June 2026.
