Former banker Barbara Lynch launched Four Sisters, a luxury Irish sleepwear brand born in Donegal and backed by the ACORNS programme for rural entrepreneurs.
Having spent 14 years working as a business executive in corporate banking, Barbara Lynch always knew she would one day set up her own business.
Barbara took voluntary redundancy from her banking role in 2016 to spend time rearing her young family before deciding in October 2021 that the time was right for her to become an entrepreneur.
“I felt there was a gap in the market for a good quality Irish-designed sleepwear brand”
Initially, she set up Four Sisters Homeware & Gifts as an online offering from her home in the village of Muff, Co Donegal, before opening a bricks and mortar store in the village.
However, although the business was successful, Barbara realised that she wanted to develop her own products rather than buying wholesale from other brands. So, she closed the physical shop in January 2024, shortened the business name to Four Sisters and put all her focus, time and energy into launching her own range of luxury sleepwear, which she successfully did in October 2024.
As well as growing organic vegetables, Alison sells dairy, meat and bread products.
She is a graduate of the celebrated ACORNS women entrepreneurship programme which recently opened applications for 11th Cycle as previous participants reported 54% revenue growth. The next programme has a deadline of midnight on 22 September. The programme is available to early-stage female entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland who have generated sales no earlier than the end of June 2022. Up to 50 places are available for ACORNS 11, which will run from October 2025 to April 2026.
A transformative experience
Four Sisters creates luxurious, comfortable but affordable pyjamas.
“I felt there was a gap in the market for a good quality Irish-designed sleepwear brand, so I visited trade shows in Turkey and Portugal, formed a relationship with an illustrator and a manufacturer and came up with my first collection of designs.”
Barbara’s first collection sold out by January of this year, and she has since launched a new collection.
She also secured her first retail customers: City of Derry Airport, Co Derry, La Maison in Letterkenny, Co Donegal, and Bejeweled at Soul in Strabane, Co Tyrone.
“I found the ACORNS programme to be a transformative experience, particularly because it came at the pivotal moment when I had just relaunched Four Sisters as a sleepwear brand.”
Barbara plans to hire her first employee within a few months and aims to establish her brand in as many retail outlets as possible here and in the UK while driving her own online sales.
From little ACORNS to thriving businesses
Women in rural Ireland with new businesses or at least with well-developed ideas are being invited to join next phase of the programme, ACORNS 11.
The ACORNS programme is designed to support early-stage female entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland through a peer learning approach. Thanks to the support of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and the voluntary contribution of time by Lead Entrepreneurs, there is no charge for those selected to participate.
Interested applicants for ACORNS must first register their interest here and will then receive an application by email. There is no charge for participation, thanks to continued government support and the voluntary contribution of time by Lead Entrepreneurs.
Results from ACORNS 10 demonstrate the programme’s impact on rural female entrepreneurship. All 52 participants who completed the cycle reported feeling closer to achieving their business ambitions, with 90% saying their participation brought about practical change within their business. Four businesses started trading for the first time during the cycle.
The financial results were particularly impressive, with the combined annual turnover of ACORNS 10 participants growing from €2.8m to €4.3m, representing a 54% increase. Participants employed a total of 104 staff at the end of the cycle, an increase of 15 positions, and 18 participants had gained export experience.
ACORNS operates on the belief that early-stage entrepreneurs learn best from their peers. The programme features monthly roundtable sessions facilitated by Lead Entrepreneurs who have first-hand experience of starting and successfully growing businesses in rural Ireland.
The programme has also been recognised as a ‘good practice’ on the EU’s INTERREG Learning Platform, adding to its recent accolades.
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