Winners of Network Ireland Limerick 2022 Businesswoman of the Year Awards Announced

Network Ireland Limerick 2022 Businesswoman of the Year Awards at the Strand Hotel Limerick – award winners Ellen Tuffy, Eve Stafford, Emma Wilson Network Limerick President, Noreen McKenzie, network Ireland President, Anna Maria Courtney, Monica Forde and Maria Coakley.

Local Businesswomen Go Forward to Network Ireland National Awards

The winners of the Network Ireland Limerick 2022 Businesswoman of the Year Awards, sponsored by LEO Limerick and AIB, were announced at a special summer soirée and awards evening at The Strand Hotel.  21 finalists were competing across five categories.

Marese Coakley, Glasshouse Opticians, won the Emerging Businesswoman Award. Anna Maria Courtney, DCLA Ireland won the Solo Businesswoman Award. Monica Forde of Sinnott Training & Certification won the Employee Shining Star Award. The Creative Professional award went to singer Eve Stafford and Ellen Tuffy of Down Syndrome Limerick and was named the Power Within Champion.

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The winners of each Network Ireland Limerick 2022 Businesswoman of the Year Awards category will now go on to the national finals for Network Ireland which will be announced at a black-tie gala ceremony in Galway in October. Last year, three Limerick businesswomen went on to win an award at the national awards.

The 21 finalists, representing a broad range of businesses, were joined by their family, friends and fellow members at the glamorous awards ceremony which kicked off with a Prosecco reception.  Also in attendance were sponsors Dymphna O’Brien, AIB and Mary Killeen, LEO Limerick, along with Noreen McKenzie, National President of Network Ireland.

Speaking at the Awards ceremony, Emma Wilson, President of Network Ireland Limerick said, “Network Ireland is all about encouraging each other to be the best we can be. Our awards provide a great opportunity to recognise our member’s achievements, ambition and professionalism. We had 21 inspiring finalists this year which is fantastic after two tumultuous years. I would like to congratulate them all and wish our 5 regional award winners the very best of luck at the nationals.

“After two years of running our awards virtually, it was wonderful to get everyone back together for this evening of celebration. I would like to especially thank the support of our sponsors, LEO Limerick and AIB, our three independent judges and The Strand Hotel who made this fantastic evening possible,” she continued. 

Winners of 2022 Network Ireland Limerick Women in Business Awards:

Emerging BusinessWoman – Marese Coakley, Glasshouse Opticians

Marese Coakley is the owner and optometrist at Glasshouse Opticians, Jetland. Marese is passionate about helping people to see well and to feel good. Marese is extremely proud of her team who have helped her to build a business delivering the very best in personalised eye care and remarkable eyewear.          

Solo BusinessWoman – Anna Maria Courtney, DCLA Ireland        

Anna Maria has a Law Degree and a Masters Degree in European and Comparative Law from the University of Limerick. Anna Maria is committed to continuous learning and has gained practical experience in Occupational Health, Conflict Management and Training Needs Analysis, and Instructional Design. Anna Maria is a qualified Arbitrator and Mediator.                 

Employee Shining Star – Monica Forde, Sinnott Training and Certification Ltd.   

My aim is to empower and inspire fellow business owners and entrepreneurs to become more knowledgeable about and take ownership of their business finances and help them save time and money by embracing modern technology.

STAC Training became the perfect fit for me, supporting my drive for automation, combined with my love of numbers.

Creative Professional – Eve Stafford, Professional Singer              

Eve Stafford is a professional singer from Limerick with over a decade of experience performing at concerts, events and weddings throughout Ireland and has won multiple prizes at classical singing competitions in Limerick and Cork. Eve holds a Licentiate and Diploma in performance from the London College of Music.

Power Within Champion – Ellen Tuffy, Down Syndrome Limerick

Ellen Tuffy is the Chairperson of Down Syndrome Limerick.  She has over 20 years of experience in healthcare but has spent the last 3 years working voluntarily for the charity.  Ellen is an advocate for the rights of people with Down syndrome to ensure their needs are met and to ensure their full inclusion in society.

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