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"If you want to survive in manufac-
turing in Ireland,
operate your plant lean and mean."
Mary Ann O’Brien, Founder and CEO, Lily O’Briens |
"It felt right to start the business, so I did it."
Moya Doherty on Riverdance |
"To solidify your business, you reinvest, you train money as money grows money."
Gillian Bowler, Chairperson of Irish Life and Permanent |
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Passion, dedication, persistence and above all vision, are all things
common to the women
featured
in our top 100 listing of Ireland's most proactive female entrepreneurs,
north and
south of Ireland. We highlight
entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs and social and cultural innovators.
Top All-Island Business Women
| Name | Current Status | Description |
| Republic Of Ireland |
| Rita Ahern | Former Founder | Greenacres Foods |
| Tanya Airey | Founder & MD | Sunway Travel Group |
| Sheila Averbuch | Founder & Editor | ElectricNews.Net |
| Pia Bang | Founder | Pia Bang |
| Eileen Bergin | Founder | The Butler’s Pantry |
| Gillian Bowler | Serial Entrepreneur | Chairperson, Irish Life & Permanent plc. Founder of Budget Travel. Sold Budget Travel in 1996,
remains as Executive Chairman. Board member of Social Innovations Ireland. Chairperson, Failte Ireland. |
| Dr Margaret Brennan | Founder | Nanosense |
| Suzanne Browne | Founder | Handy Baby Products |
| Tina Byrne | Co-Founder & Director | Arcline |
| Noelle Campbell Sharpe | Owner | Origin Gallery |
| Carol Ann Casey | Serial Entrepreneur | Founder & MD, CA Consulting. Ambassador in the Dublin Chamber of Commerce. |
| Helen Cassidy | Founder & Owner | Premier Properties Ireland |
| Julie Colcough | Founder & MD | Eurobase |
| Olivia Collins | Co-Founder | Those Two Girls PR |
| Marie Cooney | Founder & Director | Tipperary Natural Mineral Water |
| Bernadette Coyne | Founder & MD | Research Solutions |
| Tara Dalrymple | Founder | Busy Lizzie Lifestyle Management |
| Josephine Daly | Founder & CEO | CNC Components |
| Martina Delaney | Founder | Handy Baby Products |
| Moya Doherty | Serial Entrepreneur | Executive Director, Tyrone Productions, River Films and River Productions. Owns Abhann Productions,
company behind Riverdance, with John Colgan. Founding director of Radio Ireland, now Today FM. |
| Carolyn Donnelly | Co-Founder | Quin and Donnelly |
| Connie Doody | Co-Founder | Lir Chocolates |
| Edwina Fitzmaurice | Founder & Owner | Lead White Gallery |
| Pamela Fitzmaurice | Founder | Blazing Salads |
| Margaret Fitzsimons | Founder | All Hampers |
| Bernadette Gallagher | Serial Entrepreneur | Chairman, Jury Doyle Hotels. Formerly a director of PV Doyle Holdings. |
| Joanna Gardiner | MD | Ovelle Pharmaceuticals |
| Freda Hayes | Chief Executive | Blarney Woollen Mills |
| Catherine Heaney | Co-Founder | DHR Communications |
| Margaret Heffernan | Director of Textiles | Dunnes Stores |
| Hazel Hendy | Founder | Bold Art Gallery |
| Anne Heraty | Founder & CEO | CPL Resources |
| Joanne Hession | MD | R&H Consulting |
| Lindsey Holmes | Founder | Lindsey Holmes Publicity, (LHP). Holmes founded the company ten years ago, and is now a major
player in arts and entertainment PR. |
| Maeve Kelly | Serial Entrepreneur | Director of Medicom. Founded the company with Howard Beggs, CEO. |
| Angela Kennedy | Serial Entrepreneur | Founder, Megazyme. Former chairperson, Small Firms Association. |
| Louise Kennedy | Founder | Louise Kennedy Designs |
| Sharon Kenny | Founder | Kenny Marketing Ltd |
| Lainey Keogh | Founder | Lainey Keogh |
| Dr Audrey Kinahan | Founder | University Pharmacy, Galway |
| Sandra Lawlor | Co-Founder | Alternatives |
| Liavan Mallin | Serial Entrepreneur | Founder Celtic Hampers, sold the business in 1997. Founder, Zalco Investments and CEO, NFTE Ireland. |
| Lorna Mason | Founder | Circle Safety |
| Ruth Mc Partlin | CEO and Co-Founder | Fluid Rock |
| Shauna McCool | Co-Founder | Those Two Girls PR |
| Aldagh McDonagh | Co-Founder | Alternatives |
| Eleanor McEvoy | MD | Phonecard Warehouse |
| Deirdre McGoldrick | Founder | The Pregnancy Store |
| Margaret McKillen | Founder | Association of Virtual Assistants |
| Denise McLoughlin | Founder | Swords Open Golf Course and Roganstown Golf & Country Club |
| Denise Meagher | Owner | The Business |
| Eileen Monahan | Director | Jury Doyle Hotels |
| Sarah Newman | Founder | Needahotel.com. Recently sold the Hotel booking business for an estimated €60 million. |
| Mary Ann O’Brien | Founder & MD | Lily O’ Briens |
| Charlotte O’Kelly | Founder & MD | Techworks Marine |
| Aileen O’Toole | Founder & MD | Amas |
| Leanne Papaioannou | Serial Entrepreneur | Founder, Chilli Pepper Marketing. Dublin President, Network Ireland. |
| Emer Purcell | Founder | Irish Provincial Hampers |
| Elizabeth Quin | Co-Founder | Quin and Donnelly |
| Linda Richards-Stocks | Owner | Viking Splash Tours |
| Yvonne Scully | Founder | Bia Kid |
| Rita Shah | Founder and CEO | Shabra Plastics |
| Helen Shaw | Founder | Athena Media |
| Jackie Skelly | Co Founder | Jackie Skelly Fitness with Mark Tooke |
| Norma Smurfit | Founder and Chairperson | First Step |
| Nicola Watkins | Founder | Nicola Watkins PR |
| Senator Mary White | Co-Founder | Lir Chocolates |
| Tara Wilson | Founder & MD | Select Digital Print |
| Susan Wright | Founder | Susan Wright PR |
| Social Entrepreneurs |
| Mary Davis | CEO | Special Olympics Ireland |
| Caroline Kelly | Founder | Alfa Project |
| Sr Stan Kennedy | Serial Entrepreneur | Life President, Focus Ireland. Founder, Social Innovations Ireland, Young Social Innovators, The Sanctuary. |
| Tara Liston | CEO | Release Speech Therapy |
| Salome Mbugua Henry | Founder | African Women’s Network |
| Christina Noble | Founder | Christina Noble Children’s Foundation |
| R Mary Robinson | Serial Entrepreneur | Executive Director, Ethical Globalisation Institute. Former UN Commissioner for Human Rights |
| Adi Roche | Founder & Executive Director | Chernobyl Children’s Project |
| Name | Current Status | Description |
| Northern Ireland |
| Sarah Bearder | Co Founder | Datactics |
| Christine Boyle | MD | Lawell Asphalt |
| Moira Burke | Founder & MD | Bio Kinetic |
| Bernie Butler | Founder | Good4U Food and Drink Company |
| Anne Clarke | Owner | Anne Clarke Consulting |
| Cindy Craig | Founder | Sandcastles Day Nursery |
| Eileen Esler | Founder | Leadlines |
| Alison Harbison | Founder | Living Classroom |
| Sarah King | Co-Owner | Complete Communications Corporation |
| Susan McCambridge | Founder | McCambridge Associates |
| Agnes McCourt | Founder | Unislim |
| Joy Miskimmin | Founder & Owner | Accounts4Less |
| Gillian Montague | Founder | All Creatures |
| Anne-Marie Slavin | Founder | OPT2VOTE |
| Evelyn Stewart | Co-Owner | Corvally Healthcare |
| Cecilia Whitehorn | Founder & Owner | Consultancy Mentoring Works |
| Ruth Wilson | Founder & Proprietor | Beaufort Interiors |
| Social Entrepreneurs |
| Margaret Lee | MD | Cresco Trust |
| Adele Moore | Co-Founder | John Hewitt Pub, Belfast |
| Madeleine Mulgrew | Founder | Cancer Choices |
Top All-Island Female Intrapreneurs
| Name | Current Status | Description |
| Orlaith Blaney | MD | McCann-Erikson Dublin |
| Patricia Callan | Assistant Director | Small Firms Association |
| Helen Casserley | MD | O’Malley Construction Co Ltd. |
| Mary Duffy | MD | Leydens |
| Teresa Elder | CEO | Vodafone Ireland |
| Ann Fitzgerald | CEO | The Irish Association of Investment Managers & Chairperson, National Consumer Agency |
| Danuta Gray | CEO O2 & Non Executive Director, Irish Life and Permanent plc. |
| Maria Kelly | CEO | Limerick Chamber of Commerce |
| Sally Anne Kinahan | Assistant General Secretary | Irish Congress of Trade Unions |
| Yvonne Lennox | Manager | World Travel Centre |
| Jacqui McNabb | CEO | Carlow Chamber of Commerce |
| Aine Maria Mizzoni | Serial Intrapreneur | MD, Grafton Recruitment and President, Dublin Chamber of Commerce. |
| Patricia Nolan | MD | Nolan Transport (Oaklands) Ltd. |
| Joan O’Shaughnessy | MD | Campbell Catering |
| Gina Quin | CEO | Dublin Chamber of Commerce |
| Imelda Reynolds | Serial Intrapreneur | Managing Partner, Beauchamps Solicitors. Founding member, European Legal Alliance |
| Catherine Shiels | CEO | Associated Hardware |
| Patricia Smith | Serial Intrapreneur | CEO of SlenderTone and Director, Bio Medical Research Ltd. |
| Christina Boyle | Chairperson | Women in Business Network, Northern Ireland |
| Orla Corr | MD | McAvoy Group |
| Professor Bernie Hannigan | Serial Intrapreneur | Director of Diabetica Ltd (university campus company). Board member, Invest Northern Ireland.
Pro Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of Ulster. Fellow of the
Institute of Biomedical Science. |
| Shauna Herron | Serial Intrapreneur | MD, Insituform Environmental Techniques. Also represents Ireland on the Council of the UK
Society for Trenchless Technology and on the European Standards Board. |
| Debra Jenkins | Serial Intrapreneur | MD, EXUS Energy. Board member, Invest Northern Ireland, council member, British Biogen. |
| Rotha Johnston | Serial Intrapreneur | Director, Variety Foods. Deputy Chair, Invest Northern Ireland board. Director of AIB UK plc |
| Patricia O’Hagan | MD | Core Systems NI |
| Rosemary Peters-Gallagher | Serial Intrapreneur | Partner, Moore Stephens Chartered Accountants. Board member, Invest Northern Ireland.
Member of the Council, Court and the Audit Committee of the University of Ulster.
Non-Executive Director Northern Health and Social Services Board. |
Disclaimer: The information provided for the listing of Ireland’s
top intrapreneurs was the most up to date available to Irish Entrepreneur
at the time of going to print. All care has been taken to provide the
correct data. Should there be any omissions, we are happy to correct them.
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