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Local Enterprise Office Monaghan is delighted to invite you to celebrate National Women’s Enterprise Day. Join us for an inspiring event featuring a fantastic lineup of female speakers, celebrating the achievements, stories and success of women in business.
We’re delighted to welcome Annette Kelly aka ‘Little Penny Thoughts’ as our MC and guest speaker, who will be joined by some of our own inspiring Monaghan Women in Business:
This event is a must for women in business, whether you’re an established entrepreneur or just starting out.
National Women’s Enterprise Day 2026
October 15th, 2026
Venue: Castle Leslie Estate, Glaslough, Co Monaghan.
Time: 10.00am – 1.30pm
Calling all female entrepreneurs and professionals…
Local Enterprise Office Monaghan invites you to celebrate National Women’s Enterprise Day 2026 at the stunning Castle Leslie Estate. This landmark event is part of Ireland’s enterprise calendar and is designed to highlight the achievements of women in business, while inspiring and equipping others to take the next steps on their entrepreneurial journey.
This year’s theme centres on “Beyond Boundaries: Women Leading, Building & Lasting the Course”.
This event will celebrate the remarkable achievements of women who are breaking barriers, scaling businesses, preserving family business legacies, and building sustainable enterprises that stand the test of time. Through inspiring stories, practical insights, and honest conversations, attendees will gain the confidence, connections, and strategies needed to lead and grow their own businesses.
Keynote Speaker, MC & Interactive Workshop
Annette Kelly
Founder, Little Penny Thoughts
Topic:"The Confidence Currency: Building a Business and Life You Believe In"
Annette will open the event with an inspiring keynote exploring mindset, confidence, resilience and personal leadership. Through her signature storytelling and practical approach, she will empower attendees to overcome self-doubt, embrace opportunities and unlock their full potential. Her workshop session will provide actionable tools for building confidence, resilience and sustainable success.
This will be followed by a Fireside Chat with a number of Monaghan Women In Business including Liz Christy, Founder, Liz Christy Woven Designs, Sammy Leslie, Owner, Castle Leslie Estate and Orla Lavery, Owner of J’adore Hair & Beauty and creator of Jido Hair Extensions & Products.
Whether you are just starting out in business or scaling for growth, this is your chance to:
- Learn from practical insights and inspiration
- Connect with like-minded women in business
- Celebrate leadership, resilience, and creativity
Your MC & Guest Speaker
Annette Kelly is a speaker, personal development coach, and founder of Little Penny Thoughts, an inspirational platform followed by thousands for its uplifting quotes and practical life guidance. With a background in education and mental health advocacy, Annette combines warmth, humour, and honesty to encourage people to pause, reflect, and reconnect with themselves. Through her talks, workshops, and writing, she empowers others to strengthen their mindset, nurture self-belief, and take gentle yet powerful steps toward positive change.
Monaghan Women in Business Guests:
Liz Christy is the founder of Liz Christy Hand-Weaving Studios, known locally as Swallow Studios, where she has spent over 30 years creating authentic Irish hand-woven textiles from her home county of Monaghan.
Passionate about preserving Irish craft and heritage, Liz combines traditional weaving techniques with contemporary design to create pieces that celebrate the landscape, stories and people of Ireland. She has built her business through resilience, adaptability and a commitment to lifelong learning, with strong support from the Local Enterprise Office.
A proud advocate for Monaghan, Liz has created more than a textile business—she has created a destination where visitors can experience authentic Irish craftsmanship, meet the maker and discover the beauty and heritage of the county.
Sammy Leslie grew up on the Border between Northern & Southern Ireland during the Troubles. It was a time of sectarianism, violent conflict and deep division. Living in a Castle or "the Big House" as it was known, would seem idyllic to many but against the backdrop of conflict it was far from this. It was also almost impossible to generate an income from the Estate. Sammy’s family did what was needed to survive, selling land, timber, historic contents and family papers until it reached a tipping point.
As the second youngest of six children and a dyslexic who left school at 15, there was no expectation that Sammy would achieve significant success, let alone take over the running of the Estate. However, in 1991, aged just 24, it was either try or watch the Estate be sold.
In 1992, with a handful of local teenagers, a talented baker and a £5,000 grant from the Local Enterprise Office, Sammy sold her father’s car to top up the funding and opened a Victorian tearoom in the very leaky conservatory at the castle. This began the journey to create what we have today – one of Ireland’s finest country estates to come and stay at. It is also one of the only surviving Estates in Ireland to operate at this scale.
In May 2022, Castle Leslie Estate celebrated 30 years in business and the estate is thriving. The hospitality business is run on the basis of a social enterprise which adds benefit to local communities, supports local business and charities. The Estate has created more than 200 jobs and supports more than 100 local businesses. Proudly recognised as a “Great Place to Work™” and are BCorp certified.
In 2017, Sammy established the Leslie Foundation, a registered charity, to help unlock a ground-breaking series of projects, allowing the Castle Leslie Estate to become a test bed and leader of innovations which support human and planetary health. Neurodiversity, sustainability and biodiversity are core to its mission.
The year 2024, marked a change in the Estate. This began by launching the next series of exciting projects which includes an equine assisted therapy centre for autism, innovative projects democratizing healthy food, regenerative farming and creating green energy islands, alongside rewilding the Estate.
Central to all of this is collaborations. While Ireland is an island, “we at Castle Leslie are not. Everything we do is motivated by inclusion, diversity, climate justice and equality. It is anchored in an appreciation of the value of our natural capital – the beauty and richness of this shared land”.
Sammy wants to stimulate constant debate on circular projects, circular economies and inclusive thinking and for Castle Leslie to be a beacon of best practice, a genuine pioneer project in the world of true sustainability, a champion for climate justice and a place where people come to stay, live, learn, heal and recharge.
Orla Lavery - Orla Lavery is the proud owner of J’adore Hair & Beauty and founder of Jido Hair Extensions & Products. With over 12 years’ experience as a self-employed entrepreneur, Orla has built her career around her passion for hair, beauty and empowering others to feel confident.
Since opening J’adore on Glaslough Street in 2018, Orla has grown her business and is now embarking on an exciting new chapter with a brand-new salon overlooking Peter’s Lake. Her vision is to create Monaghan’s first self-employed salon—a supportive space where talented women in hair, beauty and makeup can build their own businesses without the traditional costs and pressures of opening a salon.
Orla launched Jido Hair Extensions & Products in 2023, turning a passion project developed during lockdown into a growing brand of professional hair extensions and haircare products.
A proud mum of two, Orla is passionate about family, business and supporting other women to pursue their ambitions. Her journey has taught her the importance of taking opportunities, believing in yourself and making the most of every moment.
