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Happy Pear twins talk working on three hours sleep, no days off and those Jedward comparisons

The Greystones twins start their days at 5am and share nearly everything they do online.

TheJournal.ie / YouTube

NO DAYS OFF and working on as little as three hours sleep a night. That’s what life can be like for twins from Greystones who – between a business, a lifestyle brand, an appearance on the Late Late Show and a likeness to Jedward – you will find hard to escape from in the coming months.

Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Stephen and David Flynn describe how “life and work are blurred, to get a full day off doesn’t really exist”.

The brothers have turned The Happy Pear in Greystones from a small vegetable market to a national brand and now they’re reaching out to the UK as their second book launches across the water.

It’s a far cry from how they describe their teenage years.

“We’d go out and spend €50 getting drunk but the next day we wouldn’t go out and buy ourselves a punnet of blueberries or a decent lunch.”

However, it hasn’t been an overnight success. The brothers have been chipping away for 12 years and have what they describe as a holistic approach to the business.

Stephen says of their second book: “It’s a philosophy book with recipes.”

“This book is called the World of The Happy Pear and it’s our life. I think it’s not just about healthy eating but our lifestyle.”

Energy balls 

The brothers are energetic and passionate about their work.

That enthusiasm was evident from the start as Stephen revealed how, “When we started the business Mam asked what colour we wanted the shop – we said the brightest colour they have.

“The choice was between an a luminous green or a bright orange and she said ‘you’re not having the green’.”

That energy and enthusiasm is what caused Ryan Tubridy to liken the pair to Jedward when they appeared on The Late Late Show last week.

When asked how they felt about the comparison, David said, “I can see why – we’re twins and we’re doing our thing and we both have lots of energy.

I think people are always going to parallel you with something they can relate to.

Discussing the criticism that comes with becoming well known, Stephen said:

Initially you can be a bit sensitive and a bit proud and I think the more you get up there, the more you realise people like to throw stones.

“I think if you’re comfortable in why you’re doing it, then you really don’t mind about people throwing rocks at you. It’s like ‘I’m doing my thing, if you like it great and if you don’t, that’s okay – that’s your choice too’.

“I’m not doing it to try and impress you, this is something that we really feel passionate about and we want to try to make the world a better place and add value.

“And then your skin gets very thick … I often don’t read them, I don’t feel a reason, I’ve expressed what I want to express.”

All consuming 

The brothers fit a lot into their days – which can mean skimping on sleep – and they’re constantly sharing what they’re doing on social media.

David says, “I probably get up at around 5am most days … if you’re doing things that you like to do it’s a lot easier”.

While Stephen added, “I could function on three, four, five” hours sleep.

Asked if they feel pressure to share every aspect of their life, including their children – who appear in the latest book – David said:

I don’t feel a pressure. For us, it comes natural because there’s so much we want to express and share. It’s really in our nature to want to share, if you’re quite private it might be hard.

“I think it builds more emotional connections and that’s what it’s about. In terms of social media and other things, it’s about where people can emotionally relate to you and I think the more you can show how authentic and genuine you are – that’s why snapchat and vlogging are great because you can actually show what you do in a day – it’s not just a filtered perfect veneer that Instagram has.”

Stephen added that people see how hard they’re working and how much they get done in a day.

“I think the more you share and the more real and transparent and authentic you are the more people can relate to it.”

The work is paying off: they now have two books on the shelves and their products are being stocked in more than 200 Supervalu stores across the country.

So what’s next for the Flynn twins?

When asked about expanding with another restaurant, they said, “We’d love to … I think we will at some stage but I wouldn’t like to say something and then not do it.”

Hinting at the possibility of looking to the UK, the brothers described how aiming the new book at a UK market is exciting, adding “maybe start with the book and see where we go”.

When asked if we could see a store popping up in London, they replied with wide smiles saying, “That would be great wouldn’t it, we’d love that” before considering, “Dublin is closer – we should go there first.”

Read: Meet the twins behind the happiest, healthiest restaurant in Ireland>

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54 Comments
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    Mute Adrian
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    Mar 19th 2018, 6:34 AM

    Coveney is turning into a great man for telling everybody what Ireland’s views are on everything, but the gap between official Ireland which coveney represents and the real people has never been wider.

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    Mute Sean Conway
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    Mar 19th 2018, 6:48 AM

    @Adrian: His own family backround has questions that were never fully explained…

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    Mute Donal Hanley
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    Mar 19th 2018, 7:21 AM

    @Adrian: Sorry Adrian you are not the real people and you speak for nobody but yourself.

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    Mute Paul Fahey
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    Mar 19th 2018, 7:22 AM

    @Sean Conway: like what?

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    Mute Dennis Laffey
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    Mar 19th 2018, 9:35 AM

    @Adrian: No True Scotsman eh…

    BTW the entire purpose of a foreign minister is to tell people what the opinion of the Irish people is on various topics. I think that the world in general understands that he does not speak with 100% coverage of all individual opinions on the island.

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    Mute Adrian
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    Mar 19th 2018, 11:16 AM

    @Dennis Laffey: when he was minister for housing, it was pointless expensive housing launches every second week, and the figures ended up getting worse. Now its, there was a crime committed in the UK, we support the British gov in catching the criminals. He’s Ireland’s most pointless politician!

    29
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    Mute Donal Hanley
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    Mar 19th 2018, 11:56 AM

    @Adrian: Another useless and partisan post from our Adrian. Our much respected Tanaiste will never get a fair review from this clown.

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    Mute Donal Hanley
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    Mar 19th 2018, 12:34 PM

    @Donal Hanley: See good news just released from Michael Barnier and Simon Coveney that our open border will remain following agreement with May.

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    Mute Niall Quinlan
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    Mar 19th 2018, 1:05 PM

    Coveney should be sent to Coventry. Failure in every ministerial portfolio he has held. He certainly doesn’t speak for me.

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    Mute Sean Conway
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    Mar 19th 2018, 1:10 PM

    @Paul Fahey: Questions about his father…

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    Mute Michael Farrelly
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    Mar 19th 2018, 1:38 PM

    @Adrian: what gives you the knowledge to say that ?

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    Mute Michael Farrelly
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    Mar 19th 2018, 1:41 PM

    @Donal Hanley: that’s not actually true

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    Mute Ben Guy
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    Mar 19th 2018, 6:37 AM

    I’m sure the perpetrators are petrified by this announcement.

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    Mute Tweety McTweeter
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    Mar 19th 2018, 9:39 AM

    @Ben Guy: Yet, you’d be on here complaining of the Irish Government didn’t take a position in the issue

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    Mute Ben Guy
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    Mar 19th 2018, 11:23 AM

    @Tweety McTweeter:
    I only complain when our government repeatedly comments on issues that have zero relevance to us.
    It’s becoming quite embarrassing how we seem to think we are an important country when in fact we have zero influence to anyone.

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Mar 19th 2018, 12:42 PM

    @Ben Guy: So when a foreign power in this case Russia uses WMD on a neighbours public streets it has no relevance to us? And if they do it again and an Irish Citizen is contaminated by it would it be relevant to us? They have done so twice, who’s to say there won’t be a third?

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    Mute T Beckett is back
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    Mar 19th 2018, 1:02 PM

    @Ben Guy:

    You’d be claiming Ireland was supporting the Russians to hurt poor old Brexit Britain if the Irish government said nothing.

    Grow up Benny, not our fault Britain is powerless.

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    Mute Michael Farrelly
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    Mar 19th 2018, 1:40 PM

    @Ben Guy: it has a lot of relevance to us. Stop talking bull

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    Mute Cal Mooney
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    Mar 19th 2018, 6:56 AM

    Hope he is also concerned about the British handing over the files on their Dublin Monaghan bombing activities. Sorry, forgot that this is a FG minister.

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    Mute Raymond Dennehy
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    Mar 19th 2018, 6:44 AM

    I’m sure Putin is quaking in his boots to know that Coveney is keeping his eye on him.

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    Mute Declan Carr
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    Mar 19th 2018, 6:26 AM

    Speak for your self.

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    Mute jon-boy55
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    Mar 19th 2018, 10:36 AM

    @Declan Carr: minister for terrorism coveney speaks for everyone!

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    Mute Michael Farrelly
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    Mar 19th 2018, 1:43 PM

    @jon-boy55: why is he Minister for terrorism ? What sort of bull statement is that ? What planet ore you on ?

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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    Mar 19th 2018, 7:16 AM

    The EU’s favourite nodding donkey.

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    Mute
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    Mar 19th 2018, 6:36 AM

    And so Ireland should, Russia has this weird notion that they’re a super power, you can’t come into someone’s country and poison someone along with hurting police officers etc in the process, they’re dead right to do what they’re doing and if Russia expelles some of their ambassadors etc then so be it..

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    Mute Martin's Mustards
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    Mar 19th 2018, 7:34 AM

    @George O Neill: one day you may figure it out that’s how they operate. They aren”t called an intelligence agency for being dim.

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    Mute Martin Critten
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    Mar 19th 2018, 7:36 AM

    @George O Neill: one day u may figure out that’s how they operate. They aren’t called an intelligence agency for being dim.

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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    Mar 19th 2018, 7:52 AM

    @George O Neill: How do you know that

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    Mute Derek Teeling
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    Mar 19th 2018, 8:35 AM

    @: what hard evidence is there that Russia did it can’t believe that they could be so sloppy

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    Mute Will Rymer
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    Mar 19th 2018, 9:50 AM

    @George O Neill: wow, must of missed the release of all of the critical evidence. Where and how did you see what the intelligence services and police had?

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    Mute JimmyMc
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    Mar 19th 2018, 10:04 AM

    @Martin Critten: one day you may figure out how to operate two accounts with intelligence

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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Mar 19th 2018, 10:31 AM

    @JimmyMc: haha

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    Mute Donal Desmond
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    Mar 19th 2018, 12:00 PM

    England has this weird notion that it still has an empire. An alleged Russian attack on a Russian who was caught Spying for the British now becomes center stage. If the British were so concerned about attacks on innocent people, they should stop supplying arms to Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Yes , Russia, U.S. also supply arms , but the British outrage is comical, especially when one considers their colonial past.

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Mar 19th 2018, 12:54 PM

    @Donal Desmond: And their arms industry sales have got what to do with a WMD being used in Salisbury?
    Do they sell Nerve Agent or Radioactive Polonium? When they do you may have a point. But until they do your rant has no connection to the above act.

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    Mute Michael Farrelly
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    Mar 19th 2018, 1:43 PM

    @George O Neill: even trump believes that they are behind it

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    Mute Donal Desmond
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    Mar 19th 2018, 10:06 PM

    @Mick Jordan: A bullet manufacturerd in England, U.S., Russia and sold to keep their proxy wars alive will kill you just as fast as a chemical..again the main story on most media, the attack on a Russian spy… he was not a Russian spy .. He betrayed his country… He was cought spying for the British.

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    Mute Ruairi Gagarin
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    Mar 19th 2018, 6:25 AM

    Britain should just hit Putin’s cronies with property in the UK with Unexplained Wealth Orders (UWOs). If they can’t come up with a plausible explanation then the property should be seized and their Visas should be cancelled.

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    Mute Mick Tobin
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    Mar 19th 2018, 7:40 AM

    Speaks for itself that Ireland supports the UK investigation, with the govt smart enough not to lay direct blame on the Kremlin at this point.

    What’s more interesting is the words ‘no backsliding’ w.r.t. the December deal about the Irish border. That’s London’s own post-referendum Brexit slogan being used against itself. Keep the pressure on, Simon.

    17
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    Mute Etherman
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    Mar 19th 2018, 7:05 AM

    Clever enough. Doesn’t blame the Russians.

    18
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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Mar 19th 2018, 8:01 AM

    @Etherman: yeah I spotted that too. Seems a lot of commenters just want to be mad at him but all he said really is “attempted murder is bad, we support Britain’s right to take action against attempted murderers” which I would assume most people agree with

    12
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    Mute ihcalaM
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    Mar 19th 2018, 9:39 AM

    @Dave O Keeffe: That concept is too controversial for some, it would seem! Maybe the commenters above believe that the perpetrators shouldn’t be held responsible…

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    Mute Gerard Heery
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    Mar 19th 2018, 11:03 AM

    If the spies are caught they’ll be looking to be tried in Ireland that why they’ll be home for xmas

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    Mute Liam Egan
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    Mar 19th 2018, 1:45 PM

    Well there’s neutrality for ya! Why hasn’t the UK given the evidence to the Russians as requested? It’s very similar to the US blaming Bin Laden (may Allah forgive him) for 9/11 and insisting the Taliban hand him over. They requested evidence and said they would even send him to trial, they just needed the evidence. It NEVER came, instead they were met with war and destruction for their insistence on a fair and just trial.

    6
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    Mute Joe Ryan
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    Mar 19th 2018, 7:21 PM

    So Russia had this guy in prison for 10 years for been a spy, then they released him, and poisoned him with a nerve agent invented by Russia, drawing condemnation from all world leaders. No hard evidence that it’s Russia, just a gut feeling, a war with Russia would be the war that finishes civilization, Putin said, if there’s no Russia, there’s no world.

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    Mute Patrick Coffey
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    Mar 19th 2018, 8:26 AM

    ✔️George O Neill ex Russian spy probably caused deaths of other spy’s give him an aspro on concentrate on the health of the copper

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Mar 19th 2018, 12:47 PM

    @Patrick Coffey: And what of his daughter? And all the people of Salisbury who’s lives have been disrupted?

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    Mute Donal Desmond
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    Mar 20th 2018, 1:20 AM

    @Mick Jordan: what of the Dublin / Monaghan bombings. The British government still refuse to release the files. The Irish government still refuse to take them to task. Yet the Irish government jump on to support an alleged attack by Russia on a British spy on the word of a British prime minister.

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    Mute Centerro
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    Mar 19th 2018, 3:30 PM

    Haha…what happens if it was the UK responsible….Simon would look rather silly then.

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