NWED 2026 Expert Panel: Dearbhla O'Dwyer (Carlow County Council's Local Enterprise Office), Mary Hayden, Maeve Gallagher (Google), Ruth Larkin (Lark Bridal), Rosemary Ward (Propellor BIC
More than 100 people came together at the Woodford Dolmen Hotel in Carlow today for National Women’s Enterprise Day (NWED), co-hosted by the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) in Carlow and Kilkenny. This year marked the 20th NWED event.
Eleven speakers took part across three panels. The first heard lessons learned from local businesswomen, the second brought expert advice on sales, marketing, finance and technology, and the third looked at how to make the most of local networks and financial supports.
Business owners from both counties shared the stage, including Denise Walsh of Curly Co, Laura Mullin of The Old Post Office and Brigid Walsh of Solar Precision. Joining them with specialist advice were Maeve Gallagher of Google, Rosemary Ward of Propellor BIC, Ruth Larkin of Lark Bridal and Mary Hayden.
Local business networks and the LEO were also represented. Norah Ryan, President of County Carlow Chamber of Commerce, spoke alongside Claire McInerney Browne, President of Kilkenny Chamber, Lucie Dowling, President of Network Ireland Kilkenny Branch, and Aisling Carey, Business Advisor with Local Enterprise Office Kilkenny.
Attendees also learned about the supports, mentoring and programmes available through their own Local Enterprise Office.
Reflecting on the event, Minister Jennifer Murnane O'Connor TD, Minister of State at the Department of Health with special responsibility for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy noted “Twenty years of National Women’s Enterprise Day says a lot about the women who have built businesses in Carlow and Kilkenny. The Government is encouraging more women to start businesses and, just as importantly, to grow them. For a lot of those businesses, the first real support comes from the Local Enterprise Office in their own county. If you are a woman thinking about starting out, or wondering what comes next, I would encourage you to make that call. The contacts that are made on days like today can help sustain you and your business for years.”
Aileen McGrath, Head of Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office Kilkenny, said: “When we ask business owners what helped them most in the early years, the answer is very often a person. It might be a mentor, or another owner who was a few years ahead of them. Today was about making those introductions, and we want them to last beyond the day. Between our offices in Carlow and Kilkenny there is a suite of supports and a number of networks available, and anyone who spoke to us today can follow up with us directly.”
For further information on supports is available from Carlow County Council’s Local Enterprise Office, please contact enterprise@carlowcoco.ie or call 059-9129783.
NWED 2026 Local Businesswomen Panel: Ruth Scott (MC), Denise Walsh (Curly Co), Laura Mullin (The Old Post Office & Doyle's Royal Oak Stores), Brigid Walsh (Solar Precision).