The best in the west

Six women have taken home awards at the fourth annual Network Ireland West Cork Businesswoman of the Year Awards.

The award ceremony was held virtually with guest speaker Louise O’Neill and featured 24 finalists from a variety of business backgrounds.

Among the winners was Tara Copplestone of Foxglove Cocktails who won the award for Emerging New Business Owner.

Yvonne Cahalane, constituency secretary for Fine Gael Cork South West, volunteer and founder of a new a start-up business, received the Power Within Award.

The STEM award went to Jacinta Collins, Argideen Communications, who has been championing science for 25 years.

Taking home the Creative Professional award was Maura O’Connell of West Cork Casting Studio who specialises in honouring and preserving family memories.

The award for Established Business Owner went to Nollaig Hurley, Jelly Fish Surf Shop in Clonakilty who opened her business 18 years ago, becoming one of the top purveyors of surfing goods in Ireland.

Marketing expert with VMware Louise Bunyan took the Employee Shining Star award for her role as a talent marketing specialist with experience across communications, online marketing, recruitment marketing and employer branding.

The winners will now progress to the national Businesswoman of the Year Awards on 8 October in the WIT Arena, Waterford.

Commenting on the winners, Network Ireland West Cork President, Katherine O’Sullivan said: “'With all that has happened in the last year and a half, achieving business success has been trying, yet these women are proof that we can still triumph to overcome all obstacles.”