My Tipperary Life with skincare entrepreneur Tracey Ryan of Codex Beauty

Herbal scientist and entrepreneur Tracey Ryan founded Bia Beauty, a natural skincare company, in 2012 while studying at Cork Institute of Technology. In 2019 the brand was purchased by US company Codex.

The Codex Beauty range is now sold in the US, the Middle East, UK and across outlets in Ireland as well as online. Tracey is based in Cork.

What's your idea of a perfect day, or perfect weekend in Tipperary?

My idea of a perfect weekend in Tipperary would be coming home to stay at my parent’s house in Thurles. I moved away when I was 18 to go to college and have lived away ever since. I always tried to get home to see everyone regularly but since having children – Feidhlim 9 and Milo 4, I try to make it at least once every six weeks.

My parents are very hands on grandparents, as soon as we arrive the boys are loaded with snacks and taken off to the park to run around. I get to relax and read books which is such a luxury.

Over the weekend we’d visit my granny and take the kids to Templemore Park and The Devil’s Bit. And the perfect weekend would end with meeting friends for a few drinks at The Monks in Thurles.

Who has made the greatest contribution to Tipperary in your lifetime - and why?

I have to say I’m a big fan of Roz Purcell. I think she’s doing amazing things for body positivity, sustainability and promoting a healthy lifestyle. She brings such passion and energy into what she does and is a brilliant representative for the county. I especially love what she is doing with her hikes.

She gathers huge groups of people to go hiking all over the country to raise money for charities. I am promising myself to join one of those hikes this year! Also, Una Healy is another Tipp woman I admire. She has made an amazing career for herself and is an inspiration for a lot of young girls.

What's your first Tipperary memory?

That would have to be standing around in the freezing cold in the Rugby Club in Thurles watching my dad play soccer!
My family are sport obsessed and most weekends were spent watching some form of sport. It never really rubbed off on me though I was more inclined to walk around the pitch looking for flowers and berries!

What's your favourite part of the county - and why?

I really love Roscrea, it’s a beautiful town steeped in history. Its one of our oldest towns in Ireland and is literally door to door historical buildings.

But my most favourite place in the whole county is the Slieve Felim Way – it’s a walking trail from Murroe in Limerick that ends in Silvermines. I love this part of the county, its wild and quiet and has some spectacular views. I love it so much that I named my oldest boy Feidhlim after it!

What do you think gives Tipperary its unique identity?

I think Pat Shortt and John Kenny captured us as a people wonderfully. We are a county of towns and villages where everyone knows everyone else, I hated that growing up but now I see the value in it.

I used to moan about how rural and old-fashioned Tipperary seemed to be compared to Dublin or London but now I see it as its charm. I went to Feile with my husband this summer and we jumped in a taxi afterwards to go home. The driver knew me and my parents and proceeded to tell my whole family history to my amused husband! I love the characters you find in Tipperary and I think D’Unbelievables presented them to us in a unique and utterly hilarious way.

Do you have a favourite local writer or author?

Yes, I really like Donal Ryan. My husband bought me The Spinning Heart one Christmas and it was the perfect read over that Christmas, so beautifully written, the kind of book you can’t bear to put down. There was no surprise that he won so many awards for it. I’ve continued reading his books and From a Low and Quiet Sea literally broke my heart reading it. He has such a talent for capturing the current affairs at the time of the story.

What's the biggest challenge facing the county today?

I think a big challenge for Tipperary has always been keeping young people in the county, providing them with education and career opportunities. When I was growing up it was taken for granted that you would leave home to go to college or look for work.

Its so prohibitively expensive to move away from home in your teens and twenties now that more young people are going to have to seek education and career opportunities in their home counties.

If you had the power to change one thing in, or about Tipperary, what would it be?

I’d move it to the coast! As much as I love the mountains and countryside Tipperary is missing a coastline!

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