A real human fairy will teach children how to tie their shoelaces in Arnotts this weekend

Starting school is a major milestone, but while us parents might spend time fretting over whether or not our little ones will manage to sit and listen and how they will cope with homework, it is often the little things that can seem all that more overwhelming to the kids themselves. Like knowing how to tie their own shoelaces, for instance. This year, parents are in luck, though – because if you bring the kids along to Arnotts this Saturday, August 19th, Fairy Clodagh from the Irish Fairy Door Company will be on hand to teach little boys and girls how to tie their shoelaces in a number of workshops – just in time for children going back to school or preparing for their very first day of school. The workshops with Fairy Clodagh will take place in the new Childrenswear Department at Arnotts this Saturday, from 12pm until 3pm. The Childrenswear Department is now located on the Basement Level. In time for her meet and greet with all her little fairy fans, we recently caught up with Fairy Clodagh to get her best shoelace tying tips and her scoop on all things fairy. Here is our interview in full: HF: Do you love being a fairy? FC: I adore being a human fairy. I feel so honoured to have been chosen by Queen Kate, queen of all the Fairies in Fairy Valley, and to have been given special fairy magic. Queen Kate knew how special it would be, for anyone who has an Irish Fairy Door in their home, to be able to ask a human fairy all about fairies. HF: What is your favourite thing about being a fairy? FC: My absolute favourite thing about being a human fairy is meeting all of our believers!! Telling them stories, hearing about their house fairies and answering their questions is just wonderful! HF: Do you live inside a fairy door? FC: I don’t live in a very tiny door but my home does have a door just like them! HF: Do you sometimes visit other fairies? FC: Absolutely, I regularly have meetings with Queen Kate and the other members of the International Fairy Council to ensure that I am up to speed on all fairy matters. While I am there, I meet many fairies who work in Fairy Valley (Fairy Discovery Centre or Hugs 4 Bugs) or fairies who have just graduated from Fairy School and are waiting to be assigned to their Human Homes. HF: Do you always have fairy dust with you? FC: But of course! I always carry gold fairy dust with me (used for making wishes!), just in case I run into a believer who would like to make a wish! A little bottle goes a long way because fairy dust is fairy, fairy powerful and you only need a pinch! HF: Can you fly in the rain? Or do your wings get wet if you do? FC: I’m afraid I can’t fly in the rain. No fairies can. When a fairies wings get they get fairy heavy, you see, and that makes it fairy difficult. HF: Do you also work as a tooth fairy sometimes? FC: Training to be a tooth fairy actually part of a house fairies duties so, as a human fairy, I couldn’t do the training. It is fairy difficult and highly skilled work for a house fairy so it takes a long time to complete the training. Fairy Clodagh’s best shoe tying tip: Take your time! - If you rush, it is much, much harder to do, so take your time and you’ll get there! If you are finding it difficult, the best thing to do is to join me on Saturday in Arnotts and you can learn a special fairy rhyme to help you to get it right!