The Carlow Business Awards 2022 were launched last night at an event hosted in Rathwood, last years Business of the Year winner. Guests from across the county were welcomed for an evening of networking and fun which was opened by James Keogh of Rathwood, where he provided some further insight into the business and how it has grown and developed over the years.
Bank of Ireland are once again the title sponsor of the Awards for this the 7th year in succession, Madeline Ryan spoke of their pride in supporting the awards and the businesses across Carlow and further afield.
Introducing the Awards, Colin Duggan President of the Chamber spoke of the importance of the awards and also some of the many past winners and recipients from various categories including Bobby Quinn (Lifetime Achievement) and the Doyle family of Doyle’s Tarmacadam (Outstanding Small Business of the Year) who were present for the launch.
Patrick Keogh of Rathwood closed out the formal part of the evening, where he encouraged people to get involved “The awards are so important I think and my story about the awards going back maybe, as I said that night with the Santa train, is about 12 years ago, 13 years ago, it was after the Recession, we were at a low point here in our business struggling, struggling, struggling, and we went to Carlow that night, it was in the Dolmen as well, and we won the best event of the year and that was the boost that kept us going”. He adds “We were doing 4,000 people a year for Santy at that stage and within three or four years we had grown ten-fold, about 45,000, so that’s how important the awards is and it’s fierce important for the smaller company that’s maybe only operating only two years and even going to the awards is worth it, but if you win it’s a little boost to get everyone forward and I encourage everyone to join”.
Following the formal lauch, everyone was invited to take a spin on the Dumbo ride, before boarding the Rathwood Express which wound its way through the site and forest before stopping at the Big Top everyone was treated The Magic Show by Robert Fossett.
