The County Carlow Chamber of Commerce at their Annual General meeting on 21st June 2023 have elected Rowena Dooley as the 38th President of the Chamber. Rowena has taken over from Colin Duggan who has been President since 2020, leading members and the business community through a wide range of challenges in his tenure.
Rowena is Dealer Principal at Dooley Motors, Carlow. Dooley Motors is an award-winning Ford and Kia dealership and CVRT Test Centre, conveniently located on the N80 just minutes outside Carlow town who have also been rec
ently appointed Fiat, JEEP and Fiat Professional dealers serving the Carlow and Kilkenny area. A family run company with a reputation for delivering premium customer service who endeavour to offer intrinsic value in all that they do.
Rowena played tribute to her predecessor Colin Duggan and thanked him for his dedication and professionalism during his tenure as President.
Speaking to members at the AGM, Rowena said she was humbled and honoured to assume the Presidency of County Carlow Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Tourism and expressed her thanks to the members for entrusting her with this responsibility and for the opportunity to represent the vibrant business community of County Carlow. She also acknowledged her father Anthony Dooley, himself a past President of the Chamber who had the honour in 1992 – 1993. (Pictured Left – Photos by Thomas Sunderland)
Continuing her address, Rowena noted how Carlow has certainly faced many challenges through the years. Being the second smallest county in Ireland, with an underfunded local authority, a legacy of some poor historical planning decisions, and the exit of some of our key industry pillars in the past. Despite some of those historic negatives, ‘Where we stand today is a different landscape- Carlow is at the cusp of embracing so many wonderful new opportunities that will, I have no doubt be game changers for our main county town, satellite towns and villages. The long-awaited awarding of University status to Carlow IT – now SETU, along with the granting of €24m in URDF funding for our town centre, the ambitious plans for the Water hub, the cultural quarter and new library facility are all huge positives as we embark on the next phase of our county’s development.
The continued growth of many international business located in Carlow like MSD, Burnside, Unum, Netwatch, Autolaunch to name but a few. The expansion of many local small to medium businesses in the county coupled with the recent opening of Nua and the plans for their manufacturing facility on the Dublin Road, all suggest we have the right ingredients here to take Carlow to a whole new level.
Rowena concluded her address with a call to the members and business community of Co. Carlow “Let us seize the many opportunities before us as a county. We need to tackle the challenges head-on with a strong unified voice by pushing forward with the renewal of our towns, increasing the available housing stock in our county to support our growing population and student numbers, growing our Chamber and together building a prosperous future for our business community and the people of Carlow.”
As President of County Carlow Chamber, Rowena will work with the Board of Directors elected from across the membership and Brian O’Farrell, CEO of the Chamber.
County Carlow Chamber established by local businesses in 1947, represents the interests of businesses, both large and small, in across the County and its environs. The Chamber is dedicated to fostering a thriving county and is a catalyst in the promotion and progression of the town, county, and region. As an independent organisation funded through its members and activity, the Chamber takes a proactive approach to policy development, and lobbying to impact decisions that benefit the region.
Pictured (Photos by Thomas Sunderland)
Cover – Rowena Dooley, President of County Carlow Chamber
Rowena Dooley, President of County Carlow Chamber with Anthony Dooley Past President of County Carlow Chamber