A unique business idea born out of lockdown has seen a Scotstown man turn from chicken to snail farming. Bragan Skincare is the brainchild of Kieran Corley who researched the health and beauty benefits of snail musings, commonly known as 'slime'.
Today, he has around 1 million native Irish snails at his farm in Stracunnion from which he harnesses the power of their slime. Hollywood A-listers like Jennifer Anniston may use snail slime to keep their youthful glow, but Kieran told Northern Sound what gives him the biggest thrill is the health benefits he continues to discover.
Testimonials on the company's website, bragan.skincare.com, tell of amazing results from people suffering skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. One happy customer even found that her Bragan handcream cured her restless legs syndrome. Kieran told Northern Sound, it is hearing from people who have felt health benefits from his products that gives him "a buzz".
"Absolutely, Jennifer Anniston, Katie Holmes and other big names would have snail slime as part of their daily skincare regime but, what I'm trying to do apart from the cosmetic beauty side is to try to harness the healing side. I have hundreds of customers who have seen the benefits of snail slime for eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis," a proud Kieran added.
If you haven't seen Kieran running around Monaghan in an inflatable snail suit, then you can catch him every day on Facebook as he tells stories about Danny the Snail to younger fans. He has even been known to film a story from his car with Danny sitting on the dashboard!
This weekend, you can find Bragan Skincare and talk directly to Kieran at the Taste of Monaghan Food Fair in Monaghan Town. His products are also available locally in one of the following shops: The Avenue Chemist, Clones; Next Door Chemist, Carrickmacross and Be Healthy and the launderette on Dublin Street, Monaghan Town.
