Business mums: When necessity is the mother of invention 

Ireland has one of the highest rates for early-stage female entrepreneurs in Europe. We talk to two mums who set up new businesses due to challenging family circumstances 

Sinead Crowther, at home with her son John and dog Marshall. Photo:Barry Cronin

After her toddler suffered third-degree burns in an accident and then got sepsis, mum-of-four Sinéad Crowther sat by his bedside and promised: ‘If you pull through, I’ll change my life’.

The Meath-based mum recalls feeling “consumed with guilt” – when the accident happened, shortly before Christmas 2016, she’d been at work.