Harness the potent power of seaweed

Anybody who has crossed the threshold of Galway’s most popular hostelries in the last decade or more, will likely have spotted James O’Neill. As a manager or barman, he has worked in Blake’s Brasserie, 1520, the Quays and Morans on the Weir since he moved from his native Foxford to study commerce with accountancy at university here.

“I never fancied myself as one to sit behind a desk,” he laughs. “I first worked in O’Hara’s Bakery and then started working in bars while I was in college and never left. I was living in Woodquay and Hughes [bar] was like a second home.”

He was the general manager in 1520 and the Residence Hotel on Quay Street for two years when the pandemic hit. It gave him time to reassess his life and he decided to branch out on his own, opening a café called Flourish in Athenry with two others.

But the timing couldn’t have been worse as the war in Ukraine set the cost of living soaring.

“It was the end of October early November and we got an electricity bill for €5,000 and knew this wasn’t going to work. But I learned more in that ten months than in the previous eight years in hospitality. It gave me a taste to keep going with my own business.”

Around this time, he met American Mexican woman Jamie Dent, who had her own consultancy supporting people with online businesses. She helped him get a sales job and they went to a ‘biohacking’ or lifestyle change event in America where somebody was selling Mexican seawater in vials. And it was flying out the door.

“My partner Aoibhí is from Lettermullen and they grew up eating dilisk or raw seaweed as a snack. That always fascinated me. Morans on the Weir used to make a Carrageen moss pudding. Everywhere I looked was something about seaweed, I couldn’t get it out of my head so we decided to really start researching it to see if we could make a business out of it.”

The pair discovered that Irish Sea Moss, scientifically known as Chondrus crispus, has 92 vitamins and minerals. With essential nutrients like amino acids, antioxidants, and vitamins A, C, and K, it aids in cell rejuvenation, hydration, and collagen production, leading to plumper, more youthful-looking skin. It has natural anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties which can help in reducing the swelling and redness associated with acne and rosacea.

Its antioxidants also provide an extra layer of protection against harmful UVA and UVB rays. So instead of pursuing Irish Sea Moss as a food supplement, James and Jamie delved into the world of skincare.

Pictured: The owners of the Sláinte Sea Moss Skincare, Jamie Dent and James O’Neill