Newry entrepreneurs Paul Vallely and Clare Walsh feature on RTÉ’

Newry entrepreneurs Paul Vallely and Clare Walsh of Kukoon, featured on last week’s episode of The Entrepreneurs, a documentary series in partnership with RTÉ and EY Ireland.

Newry-based Kukoon is an online-first rugs and homewares brand founded by brother and sister Paul Vallely and Clare Walsh. The company designs its own products and sells across Ireland and Great Britain through its own website, 15 partner retailers and more than 60 stores across Ireland.

The siblings grew up helping at their father’s market stall, where he sold rugs. In 2006, they began listing rugs on eBay and found a much larger market online. Kukoon has since evolved from selling clearance and distributor stock into building its own consumer brand, with products designed in-house to be on-trend, washable and affordable.

Kukoon employs 75 people in Newry across product design, marketing, warehousing, fulfilment and customer service. The self-funded business recorded £21 million in revenue in the financial year ending March 2026 and is now focused on growing its brand in Great Britain, with plans to enter North America within two years.

Paul Vallely and Clare Walsh are among 12 finalists from the 2026 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year programme whose stories feature in the second season of The Entrepreneurs. The four-part RTÉ series explores the personal experiences, defining moments, risks, setbacks and decisions behind some of the island of Ireland’s most successful and ambitious businesses.

Catch a sneak peek and explore Paul and Clare’s story here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/eoyireland2026-theentrepreneurs-ugcPost-7525934090089545730-JVJS/