This week the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards are honouring the persistence and determination of eight businessmen and women, who work in diverse but wholly Irish industries.
The eight finalists in the Industry category are:
Sammy Leslie took over the crumbling family estate and has turned Castle Leslie into a luxurious guest retreat and one of Europe’s top equestrian centres.
Lord Diljit Rana’s restaurants were destroyed during the Troubles in Belfast but his persistence never waned. He has now built four hotels, attracting international brands such as Plaza and Holiday Inn to Belfast, and has plans to build 5 more.
Brian Irwin, of W.D. Irwin and Sons, shows us how money can be made from bread.
Gerard Cleary, of Glenisk, keeps his organic dairy products in the family.
Edward Conroy, of Westland Horticulture, has successfully branched out into the horticulture industry.
John O’Neill’s, of Heatons, has proved that quality and value go hand.
Dominic Walsh, of the MSO Group, is keeping manufacturing in Ireland alive and kicking.
While Michael Taggart, of Taggart Holdings, has taken full advantage of the building boom and now has a property portfolio spanning Ireland, the UK, Europe and New Zealand