Network Ireland Kerry’s Businesswomen of the Year Awards 2025 – a night of awards and great celebration

Network Ireland Kerry hosted their Businesswomen of the Year Awards for 2025 last Friday in The Rose Hotel, Tralee. Network Ireland Kerry welcomed nominees, members, and guests from early evening for what proved to be a stellar event. The Network Ireland Kerry Awards are designed to recognise the achievements of the talented and dedicated women who make up our membership of the Kerry branch, whether you are an Employee, Employer, or Entrepreneur. These awards are a great opportunity to be recognised for all your hard work, and to gain exposure and awareness for you as a woman in business or professional services. All category winners will go on to represent Network Ireland Kerry in the National Network Ireland Businesswomen of the Year Awards, which will be hosted in Kerry for the first time in 42 years since the inception of Network Ireland, at the Great Southern Hotel, Killarney on the 25th and 26th of September.

Network Ireland Kerry President, Emily Reen, shared – “On Friday evening, we gathered to honour the extraordinary women who are not only achieving success, but actively empowering it in others, which was reflected in the energy we could feel in The Rose Hotel. These trailblazers are reshaping what leadership looks like, uplifting their communities, and setting bold new standards of excellence across the business and professional landscape. Their journeys are a powerful reminder that success is not just a personal milestone. It becomes truly transformative when it is shared, supported, and used to elevate those around us. In celebrating their accomplishments, we also celebrate a collective vision, one where every woman has the opportunity to lead, inspire, and thrive. We look forward to celebrating these ladies’ successes again in Killarney next September, where Network Ireland will host their National Conference & Awards in Kerry for their very first time in 42 years, under the leadership of the National Network Ireland President, Amy O’Sullivan”.

Category winners on the night who will now go on to represent Kerry in the national awards ceremony in September are:

Established Businesswoman Sponsored by: Partnership International

Susan Quirke-Crowley Mounthawk Montessori School Group

 

Employee Rising Star Sponsored by: Kerry Innovation Centre

Megan Daly-Tyrrell RDI Hub

 

Employee Shining Star Sponsored by: South Kerry Skillnet

Brid O’Connor CSG

 

Creative Professional Sponsored by: Vodafone Business

Jiska Healy Yesca’s Flowers

 

Solo Businesswoman Sponsored by: AIB

Linda O’Mahony Logan Leadership360

 

STEM Professional Sponsored by: Fexco

Katherine O’Sullivan MTU

 

Emerging Businesswoman Sponsored by: Hercules Building Systems

Sarah Farrar Ainmhi

 

Networker of the Year Sponsored by: Kerry Local Enterprise Office

Linda O’Mahony Logan Leadership360

 

On the evening, there was a special recognition award presented by Network Ireland Kerry Vice President and Awards Coordinator, Aisling Foley. This year’s recipients were Ciara, Saoirse and Laoise Murphy, this year’s winners of the BT Young Scientist Award. Aisling explained the special significance of this award, “It was an honour to coordinate this special evening and host it here at The Rose Hotel, where I’m lucky to work every day with a phenomenal team. Seeing the room filled with such inspiring women, each with their own story, achievements, and ambitions, was incredibly moving. The energy, connection, and celebration in the air made it a night I’ll truly never forget. A standout moment for me, as a former Presentation Secondary School Tralee student, was presenting the Special Recognition Award to Ciara, Saoirse, and Laoise Murphy, this year’s BT Young Scientist Winners. We were so proud to celebrate their incredible achievement, it felt only right to honour them among such a powerful gathering of women”.

The MC on the evening was Dr. Breda O’Dwyer, Head of Department of Organisation and Professional Development, and Head of the Cantillon Academy at Munster Technological University. The Keynote Speaker on the evening was Norah Casey, award-winning entrepreneur, broadcaster, publisher, former Dragon on Dragon’s Den and owner of Harmonia Publishing Ltd, who shared many poignant and personal learnings that directly influenced her path as a highly established businesswoman.

The charity partner of Network Ireland Kerry in 2025 is Kerry Hospice, and Mary Shanahan, who is the Secretary of the organisation, spoke about the vital role and support they provide to families and loved ones in their time of need. On the evening there € 3900 was fundraised for Kerry Hospice with businesses donating spot prizes.

The sponsors of the event play a vital role in the ability of Network Ireland Kerry to host this event every year and to support finalists who then go forward for a national award. The sponsors of the 2025 Network Ireland Kerry Businesswomen of the Year Awards were, MTU, Hercules Building Systems, Radio Kerry, O’ Sullivan’s Bakery, Fexco, South Kerry Skillnet, AIB, Kerry Local Enterprise Office, Partnership Internation, Kerry Innovation Centre, Vodafone Business, Casamigos, The Rose Hotel, Maddy Made Creations and Yesca’s Flowers and Events.