An Irish entrepreneur who invented a clothesline that detects rain secured investment on the latest episode of Dragon’s Den on BBC One. .
Colin O’Brien, who hails from Julianstown in Co. Meath, got investment for his product, named Peggy Rain, from Touker Suleyman – who will receive a 25% stake in the business.
Colin named his invention after his late mother, who inspired the idea.
He told the Irish Mirror: “The original idea for Peggy Rain was mam’s idea. Mam’s name was Margaret and Peggy being the Irish for Margaret.
“Mam has passed away and it was her idea, so we called it Peggy Rain in honour of mam.
“I asked mam years ago – because I’m always designing products – I asked her is there something I can do to make your life easier, and mam said come up with something so that she doesn’t have to run in and out to take the washing in every time it rains.”
Explaining how it works, he said: You hang your washing outside and once it starts to rain it covers your clothes to keep them dry. There is no electronics.
“There is a little cotton tablet and when that gets wet, it expands and releases the cover, so it is quite a very economical way of doing and environmentally friendly.
“With Peggy Rain, you just pull the cover back like a little curtain and once it rains, it releases that curtain, and it pulls it across the clothes.”
Colin also received investment for two other products he showcased on the show – including tough rollers for your suitcase designed for any terrain, and a bike alarm prototype
“I was in for about an hour,” he said. “Steven Bartlett really liked the bike alarm, but I told him we weren’t there yet.
“Sara Davies liked Peggy Rain. Peter Jones pointed out that Touker Suleyman was in the space I’m in and I got on well with Touker Suleyman so he made an offer.
“That is who we’ve gone with. We got €80,000 (for all three devices).”
