A pioneering Co Louth company that began life harvesting sea salt has received a €26,000 grant from the Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG) Northeast programme.
Oriel Sea Salt is “redefining the international wellbeing and skincare sectors with its pure free-ion liquid magnesium and sustainably extracted from deep seawater”, Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) says. The company has received the €26,000 grant to upgrade its production plant.
The FLAG Northeast scheme, which awarded the grant, is part of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund, which supports the Irish seafood sector.
The scheme is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union and administered by BIM.
Welcoming the investment, interim BIM CEO Richard Donnelly said: “Oriel Sea Salt is a strong example of how innovation rooted in our coastal communities can deliver real economic impact”.
“With BIM and FLAG support, the company has transformed a natural marine resource into a globally competitive product that is creating jobs, opening new markets and showcasing the strength of Ireland’s blue economy,” he said.
He added: “This is exactly the type of diversification BIM supports - helping coastal enterprises add value, scale sustainably and build resilience for the future.”
Oriel Sea Salt has received a €26,000 grant to upgrade its production plant through the Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG) Northeast scheme
Founded in 2013, Oriel Sea Salt began as a sea salt producer before uncovering the commercial potential of the mineral-rich liquid found in deep seawater, according to co-founder and managing director Brian Fitzpatrick.
“Oriel sustainably extracts sea salt using an energy-efficient, sealed and pressurised system,” he said.
“Early on, we realised the real opportunity lay in the extraordinary concentrations of magnesium and trace elements present in the seawater. Developing a way to extract and commercialise those minerals led to our patented technology.”
Following a decade of research and scientific collaboration with Dublin City University, led by chief scientific adviser Dr Ronan Murphy, the company developed a patented process to extract free-ion magnesium, a form that is immediately bioavailable and not currently available anywhere else in the world.
The breakthrough has enabled Oriel to “expand rapidly into the cosmetic, hydration and wellness sectors”, BIM says.
In 2024, the company entered the US market and has since secured a distribution agreement in Asia. Its magnesium drops are now stocked in more than 180 independent health stores across Ireland.
Oriel says it operates a circular production model with minimal waste, reusing steam condensate for cleaning and boiler feed.
The company holds Gold Membership of Origin Green and has secured patents across three continents. Its recent awards include the SFA National Award for Innovation, Rude Health Magazine’s Best Women’s Product Award and the Good Food Ireland Producer Sustainability Award.
“We’re proud to be harvesting one of Ireland’s greatest natural resources - the ocean - in a sustainable way using Irish-developed technology,” Fitzpatrick said.
“With continued investment in research and production, we see enormous potential to grow further while remaining rooted in our coastal community,” he said.
The closing date for applications to the FLAG Coastal Communities Development Scheme is 29 January 2026. Further details are available at bim.ie.
