Local Enterprise Offices confirm that LEO supported businesses from Galway, Donegal, Clare, Westmeath, Kilkenny, Wicklow, Louth and Dublin have all made ‘Final Eight’ on June 11th
The ‘Final Eight’ have been revealed by the Local Enterprise Offices ahead of the 18th National Enterprise Awards at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham later this month and a local Wicklow company supported by the LEO Wicklow, has made the final eight.
Determined to carve their own way, five friends from Dublin and Wicklow founded Glendalough Distillery to revive Ireland’s lost heritage of great spirits distillation and create innovative, exciting brands. Together, they created Ireland’s first craft distillery in Glendalough, harnessing fourteen centuries of Irish spirits making tradition that stretches back to monks who made the world’s first distilled spirit—poitín—as early as 584 A.D. On every Glendalough Distillery bottle, the image of St. Kevin represents the distillery’s embrace of this ancient heritage and the notoriously independent Irish character.
The Glendalough Distillery range includes three poitíns, 7 and 13 year old single malt Irish whiskeys, two seasonal, botanical gins, and the new Double Barrel Irish Whiskey. The company is going from strength to strength since it started just two years ago, and is successfully exporting to the USA and worldwide. In March of this year, all three whiskies in the company’s range received top awards at the globally renowned San Francisco World Spirits Competition, receiving prestigious Awards including Best Irish Whiskey and Best Single Malt Irish Whiskey. With these awards, Glendalough continues to lead an emerging Irish whiskey renaissance with craft distilled spirits that honor traditional styles from Ireland’s past. For more information, visit www.glendaloughdistillery.com.
Sheelagh Daly, Head of Enterprise, LEO Wicklow praised the Wicklow company on reaching the ‘final eight’ for this year’s National Enterprise Awards, saying: “Barry Gallagher and his team at Glendalough Whiskey have made fantastic progress since setting up their new business with the support of the LEO Wicklow. They have beaten off stiff competition to reach the final eight in the National Enterprise Awards, which showcases the best in innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship within Irish SMEs all across Ireland. We are delighted that Glendalough Whiskey are representing County Wicklow and we wish them every success on the 11th of June”.
The eight finalists announced for the 2015 National Enterprise Awards, in alphabetical order, are:
Áine Knitwear (supported by Local Enterprise Office Clare
Elemex (supported by Local Enterprise Office Louth)
Gannon Eco (supported by Local Enterprise Office Westmeath)
Glendalough Distillery (supported by Local Enterprise Office Wicklow)
Kinnegar Brewing (supported by Local Enterprise Office Donegal)
MyBio (supported by Local Enterprise Office Kilkenny)
Property Channel/Property Button (supported by Local Enterprise Office Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Dublin)
Vision Built Manufacturing (supported by Local Enterprise Office Galway)
The overall winner of the €5,000 top prize is being announced by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mr. Richard Bruton T.D at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham on June 11th. Results and updates will be available through www.localenterprise.ie/wicklow and by searching #NEAwards15 on social media.
