WATCH Grace Culhane aiming for 2027 Star Team opportunity at the Irish Hairdressers Federation final

Grace Culhane aiming for 2027 Star Team opportunity at the Irish Hairdressers Federation final. Photo: Olena Oleksieno/ilovelimerick

Limerick’s Grace Culhane is through to the Irish Hairdressers Federation final with the opportunity to secure a place on the 2027 Star Team

Young Limerick apprentice hairdresser, Grace Culhane, is through to the final of the Irish Hairdresser Federation with the opportunity to secure a place on the prestigious 2027 Star Team.

Grace is currently completing her third year of an apprenticeship at Cyril Morgan Hair while also studying through the National Hairdressing Apprenticeship based in Raheen.

Speaking about the chance to join the 2027 Star Team, Grace told I Love Limerick, “ The Star Team is a group of hairdressers that compete in two rounds of competition that are held in Dublin, and in October, the finalists will be picked. It consists of being in a team working around the country for a couple of months and getting lots of experience in different salons, getting to meet the big names in the industry; you’re offered lots of education and opportunities with it.”

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Grace also reached the finals last year, creating a Y2K punk-inspired look for the competition, and for this year’s semi-final, she built her look around a piece of clothing she discovered during a salon photoshoot, researching its history and inspiration before developing the overall style.

“I’d seen this piece one of the designers had, and I absolutely fell in love with it,” Grace explains. “I knew I wanted to use that for my look, and I wanted to know the history behind it, what her inspiration was, and I kind of built my look around that.”

For the upcoming final, Grace will work with a new model, Laura, on a fashion-inspired look. She told I Love Limerick, “The final look is very fashion-inspired. It’s very big, very out there. I cannot wait to show it off. I’m so excited. I’ve been working this week with Laura in the salon.

“We’ve been practising and getting things ready, so it’s been very exciting. My semi-final look was heavily inspired by Limerick fashion designer Eabha Day and I am working with her again for the final and her work is incredible and so inspiring.”

Speaking about her apprenticeship journey, Grace, now in her third year, said, “ It’s a fantastic course. I think it’s the best way to go into hairdressing, the best route. I couldn’t recommend it more. So I’m out in Raheen one day a week, and every other day I’m in the salon, so it’s really good. It’s on-the-job and off-the-job learning, which is really great to have that mix, especially when you’re on such a hands-on job. It’s great to have both kinds of aspects of it.”

Grace is currently working under the mentorship of veteran stylist Cyril Morgan, who has managed salons in Dubai, taught cutting techniques worldwide, worked as a creative director on high-profile shoots, and been featured in prestigious industry publications.