Like many small businesses, i gcónaí began during lockdown in April 2020 when I was living in Sydney. Originally launched as PAW Art, it started as a simple personal challenge: to paint one animal every day for a month. After completing the challenge, I put my paints away and didn't create anything new for almost a year.

Then, during Sydney's second lockdown, I had a moment of inspiration when I was looking at a kangaroo painting I had done the previous year. I imagined it wearing a Cork jersey, leaping between Australia and Ireland as if it were making the journey home, something so many of us longed for at the time with Australia's borders being closed.

I brought my idea to life and the illustration resonated with people in a way I never expected. It captured the feeling of homesickness, connection and Irish identity shared by so many living in Australia. From there, more designs followed, each celebrating the places, traditions and memories that make Ireland feel like home.

Today, i gcónaí creates personalised artwork inspired by Ireland, designed to help people around the world stay connected to the place they'll always call home. After 13 years living in Australia, I have returned home to Cork, just like that first kangaroo.

Cuimhnigh i gcónaí cárbh as duit - Always remember where you came from.