Turnip + Duck

Turnip + Duck is a Dublin-based, writer-led creator studio developing original children’s animation, audio and multimedia IP. Founded in 2016 by lifelong collaborators Colm Tobin and Aidan O’Donovan, the studio combines comedy writing, musical storytelling and character-led concepts for preschool and family audiences.

Rather than operating a fixed in-house animation pipeline, the company acts as an IP-originating and showrunning hub. Its work spans rapid prototyping, scriptwriting and coordination, voice casting and directing, sound design, radio-play assembly, early user testing and creative oversight for co-produced series. Turnip + Duck builds tailored production pipelines around individual projects and works with external animation and production partners for full-scale delivery.

Original productions

Its slate includes the inclusive musical preschool series Maddie + Triggs, about a visually impaired seven-year-old discovering music in everyday life; the hybrid live-action and 2D nature comedy Critters TV; the preschool science series Atom Town; and the RTÉ/CBBC science-comedy series Brain Freeze. The studio has also co-developed Bunny McBee, produced the animated short Zoot & Friends, and developed projects including Fadö Fadö and Fishcat & Jack.

Beyond screen production, Turnip + Duck creates children’s podcasts and music. Time to Listen, its 23-track original soundtrack for Maddie + Triggs, extends the studio’s character and story worlds into audio.

Production approach

The studio supports original-IP development, co-development, co-production, animation showrunning and financing coordination, including Ireland’s Section 481 film and television credit. Its productions have drawn support from Irish public-screen organisations and have reached broadcasters including CBeebies, RTÉjr and Sky Kids.

Maddie + Triggs received Best New Preschool Series at the 2026 Kidscreen Awards, as well as four Irish Animation Awards—including Best Animated Preschool Series, Best New IP, Best Innovation and Best Original Song—and the NCBI Society Award.