Aisling Walsh – Ash Ecology and Environmental Ltd
Over the years, Aisling’s entrepreneurial streak was in evidence. It was this spirit of enterprise, combined with her passionate love of wildlife and nature, and her desire to protect the environment, that led her to set up Ash Ecology & Environmental (AEE).
Andrea Keenan– The Foot Care Centre
Knowing that diabetes can increase a person’s chances of suffering nerve damage and reduced circulation, which can lead to more serious problems like amputation in the lower appendages, Andrea was inspired to trade in the law for studies in foot care.
Andrea Mears – Andrea Mears Jewellery
Andrea Mears has always been passionate about high quality and sustainable jewellery. Inspired by the slow fashion movement, and designs that are not trend-driven, she has launched her own collection of delicate jewellery and turned it into a business.
Anne Marie Feighery– Feighery’s Farm
Having grown up on a family farm, Anne Marie has always had a passion for all things health, food and exercise. The inspiration for her healthy beetroot juice came from her father who was on the hunt for it after coming across numerous articles highlighting the many health benefits, including lowering blood pressure.
Brenda Ward – The Natural Fertility Hub
Brenda Ward qualified from Trinity with a Science degree and then proceeded to work in medical sales in the pharmaceutical industry for several years before finding herself drawn to eastern medicine.
Brónagh O’Rourke – Burren Farm Experience
Moving to the West Coast and being struck by the beauty of the land, inspired Brónagh O’Rourke to set up a unique touring experience on her husband Cathal’s family beef farm in Boston, Co Clare.
Carlene Lyttle – Sailespin
From Derry originally, Carlene spent six years living in Switzerland where she worked in Business Development with a technology company. After her son Aidan was born, the pull home grew too strong and in 2017, Carlene decided to move to her mothers’ home – Inishowen, Co Donegal.
Cheryl Stanley – Ballyshane
With 10 years working in the craft industry behind her, and a passion for Irish craft and design, Cheryl Stanley has turned this into an award-winning business creating luxury wooden serving boards.
Denise Rocks – Little Green Growers
Little Green Growers mission is to make it easy to grow sustainable organic food & flowers at home with an online range of Irish certified organic plants, seeds and gardening supplies. Denise set up Little Green Growers with her husband on her small certified organic farm at her home in Spiddal, Co Galway in April 2018.
Emma-Jane Leeson – The Johnny Magory Company Ltd
Emma-Jane began self-publishing books starring Johnny Magory in 2016 as a passion project, having written them 12 years earlier. After seeing the popularity grow organically, she decided to quit her corporate job to focus on her dream of building a business from the Johnny Magory brand and spending more time with her kids.
Irene Treacy – Helping People with Parkinson’s
Irene Treacy, from Tramore in Co Waterford, became Ireland’s only dedicated Parkinson’s disease coach after initially setting up in business as a distributor of Smovey rings – a health and fitness product developed by Austrian tennis instructor Johann Salzwimmer after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Kasia O’Reilly – Sana Naturals
Kasia’s love of nature was passed down through generations and, growing up, she was always picking wild plants and digging clay from the rich Polish soil to make herbal potions. This passion, and her own sensitive skin, led her to develop her own natural, eco-conscious, artisanal skincare range, Sana Naturals.
Laura Bourke – Aspire Recruitment
Having grown up with entrepreneurial parents, Laura learned the importance and benefit of hard work and ambition. From an early age, Laura aspired to create a successful business of her own someday.
Máire Griffin – OrganiGo
When Máire Griffin moved home from living in the UK and doing some travelling in 2018, she realised two things: she did not want to work for someone else and she wanted to live in north Kerry.
Margo Mulvihill – Where Digital Goes
Having worked in sales and marketing for over 10 years, Margo realised that the whole industry was shifting towards digital. She decided to upskill in social media with a firm focus on digital marketing. In May 2018, she accepted redundancy and started her own marketing agency.
Mary-Thea Brosnan – Kerry Kefir
Having suffered from digestive issues for years, Mary-Thea Brosnan was prescribed tablets to be taken before every meal for the rest of her life. She spent years looking to help her symptoms through diet until a nutritionist advocated milk kefir, a fermented milk beverage packed full of beneficial bacteria and yeast for your gut health.
Meg O’Gara – Megnificent Creative
Meg O’Gara always had a creative streak while growing up, and it’s something she’s turned into her own creative design business, helping other entrepreneurs thrive. Based in Glencomubille, Co Donegal, Megnificent Creative provides services in graphic design and illustration, project consultation and creative solutions, and web design.
Michelle McDonald – Sásta Skin Health
Michelle McDonald may have given three and a half years to perfecting the formula for Sásta Skin Health’s topical skin supplement – but she knows it’s time well spent if it means her product stands out in a crowded skincare market.
Nora Irwin – Arona
Having spent over 20 years in the mobile communications trade Nora decided to follow her dream in 2018 and launch a fragrance line. She grew up surrounded by beautiful scents and has spent her whole life intrigued by perfume.
Noreen Fitzgerald – Marlhill Open Farm
With four children under the age of five, Noreen Fitzgerald often found herself searching for stimulating entertainment within driving distance of their home in Cashel, Co. Tipperary. Her efforts coming to nought, she set about creating such a place on the grounds of her home.
Pamela Farrell – The Brand Edit
After 13 years working as a graphic designer in creative agencies and running her own letterpress stationery business, Pamela launched a design consultancy firm – The Brand Edit – from her home studio in Navan, Co Meath in 2017.
Roisin Cahill – RoCa Healthcare
Roisin was working as a community pharmacist when she noticed a lack of products and medicines that were suitable for digestive issues long-term. During her research, she found that many chronic diseases in Ireland are thought to be linked to the gut. Roisin wanted to reduce medicines where possible and look at other ways of maintaining gut health.
Sarah Jane Foster – SJF Productions
When people hear the name Foster they automatically associate Sarah Jane with music, but she was focused on the cameras rather than the instruments and she quickly fell in love with production work. In 2016, she started to notice a change in how people were advertising their businesses and flirted with the idea of starting her own production company.
Sinéad McKeever – Little Lingua Languages
From a young age, Sinead went on regular holidays to France by ferry with her family. Fascinated with the whole culture – the smells, the sights, the new language – she would beg her mother to get her French classes, but there were none available for primary school children.