WEALTH November 1, 2026 0 Comments

How One Empty Nest Project Ignited a Candle Empire in Kildare—And What It Means for Entrepreneurs Everywhere

Ever wonder what it takes to transform a quiet, empty nest into a thriving business that lights up the senses and tugs at cherished memories? As the Everwinter Christmas Market gears up to spotlight Ireland’s finest craft producers at the RDS, we dive deep into the story of Jackie Sweeney, the mastermind behind Kildare Candle Barn. What started as a mindful hobby during life’s big transition quickly ignited into a flourishing enterprise — selling out 100 candles in a single weekend and expanding internationally. Jackie’s journey isn’t just about candles; it’s about connecting people to ‘home’ through scent — a magic dust of nostalgia, nature, and festive warmth. In a world where handmade means more, and local flavors matter, Everwinter serves as the perfect stage for artisans like Jackie to showcase their brilliance and reach new audiences eager for authentic Irish craft. Curious how Jackie balances soaring costs, stiff competition, and new EU packaging hurdles while expanding into new markets and lighting up more than 30 retail shelves around Ireland? Let’s unpack the heart & hustle behind this glowing success story. LEARN MORE

As Everwinter Christmas Market prepares to give Irish craft producers a major platform at the RDS, BusinessPlus.ie chats to some of the vendors who will be showcasing their products.

Jackie Sweeney captures the essence of cherished festive memories as she looks to make an impression on the Everwinter Christmas Market.

Tell us about yourself and how your craft business got started?

My name is Jackie Sweeney, and I created Kildare Candle Barn 6 years ago as an empty nest project when my daughters moved to university in the UK.

It was never intended to be a business – just a mindfulness project for myself in the transition stage from a hectic household to a very quiet one!

Self-taught initially and then trained by a UK chandler, I launched with 100 candles initially, and they sold out within a weekend. In the early years, I grew the business in the evenings and weekends whilst holding down my job as a planner buyer for one of the tech giants, but eventually, 3 years ago, I took the leap and left the “good day job” to grow the business further.

After my first Showcase Trade Show, I secured my first batch of Irish retail stockists, and I also secured orders from a large international retail brand, resulting in orders of full shipping containers of candles for 7 of their distribution centres in the US.

We continue to expand our footprint in Ireland with new stockists each year. Each candle/reed diffuser/room spray and wax melt is still poured by me in the rural Irish countryside, inspired by nature surrounding the studio.

Our candles are made from EU-sourced natural soy wax and ethically produced premium fragrances and are designed to evoke memories of nostalgia and happiness through scent.

Our fragrances reflect the changing seasons and are inspired by Irish Nature/herb and floral gardens/winter woodland walks and Irish Turf fires.

Our Christmas Collection captures the essence of cherished festive memories and cosy moments with an extensive range of winter candles filled with cinnamon and spices and spruce and pine.

Our products are gift-led and are particularly well suited to Christmas audiences for visitors looking for meaningful, locally made gifts that are not mass-produced. We have a range that is curated to cross over varying consumer price points, with very affordable product offerings such as wax melts and small tin candles, but also curated luxury gift boxes for thoughtful gifting.

Why is taking part in the Everwinter Christmas fair important to your business? Is it a good opportunity to reach new customers?

I am very excited to take part in the Everwinter Christmas Fair. I have participated in other events that were organised by Equinox, such as Christmas at the Castle, and they always put on a very professional, well-organised event with great footfall, so I have great faith in this event.

I am also encouraged to see some very high quality Irish makers who I know from previous events so I know the stands will offer high quality products and gifts.

As a candle maker, my business has an element of seasonality, with the Autumn / Winter my peak season so the events that I sign up for are considered carefully and need to work for me – very few people buy candles in January!

In-person exposure to new and existing customers at a reputable event is invaluable to me not just financially, but it also helps me to evaluate scent profiles that people react to favourably to guide future fragrance developments.

How important is it to your customers that your product is made in Ireland?

It is very important to my customers – they often want to know who makes them and where.

They also are very clued in on ingredients used in the candles and welcome the fact that I use a natural wax.

Customers, whether they are Irish or tourists, particularly like the collection of Irish-inspired candles I have, such as Irish Turf or The Curragh.

Just this week I had a customer from Finland reorder our Hot Whiskey candle as a surprise for each of her family members to remind them of the candle they bought from me at a Christmas market in Dublin last year.

What are the biggest challenges facing Irish craft makers and small businesses at the moment?

Rising costs are a huge problem. All my raw materials, especially wax and freight, have dramatically increased in price, and the margins, especially for wholesale, are really tight.

There has always been a lot of competition in our sector so it’s challenging to try to make your brand stand out from the crowd.

New EU packaging rules and the costs associated with this are a worry.

Where can people find and buy your products after the Christmas fair? Do you sell online, through social media or in local shops, and what are your plans for the business in the year ahead?

I sell online through my website on www.kildarecandlebarn.com.

We are delighted to be part of a makers collective called Gather, operated by Kildare Leo and have a presence in this brick-and-mortar shop in Kildare town. We also offer candle-making workshops here.

We have more than 30 stockists throughout the country – a list of whom can be found on my website.

What are your plans for the future?

We want to continue to nurture existing relationships with our existing customers/retailers and to develop new markets and customers.

After successfully exporting to the USA and Canada, we have researched and identified two new markets abroad that we would like to export to and will be actively working on launching in these regions next year.

We also want to expand our very popular Candle Making Workshops to more corporate and private audiences.

Limited vendor opportunities remain for Everwinter’s Christmas Market.

If you are interested in exhibiting at Everwinter, please contact Izabela by email to [email protected] or by phone to (01) 4972020 for pricing and packages available.