Overall County Winners were Fire Doors Ireland. Declan and Amanda Sharkey with Conor Craven, Head of Enterprise, LEO Cavan. Back (from left): Cllr Winston Bennett (FG), Brendan Jennings, Director of Services, Cavan County Council; Cathaoirteach, Cllr T.P. O’Reilly; Gillian Madden, Senior Enterprise Development Officer, LEO Cavan; and Eoin Doyle, Chief Executive, Cavan County Council.

Winners galore at LEO Cavan Enterprise awards

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A fire door manufacturing company from Virginia is the 2025 Cavan Enterprise Award winner, as announced by Cavan’s Local Enterprise Office.

Fire Doors Ireland run by Declan Sharkey took the top prize of €4,000, and will now represent LEO Cavan at the 25th National Enterprise Awards in Dublin on May 22.

The firm also clinched the award for ‘Best Innovation’.

Speaking to The Anglo-Celt, Declan said he is “delighted” with the achievement and is looking forward to representing Cavan at the national competition.

Fire Doors Ireland employs over 20 people, most of whom are from Cavan and Monaghan.

“There is a construction and fire doors side to my business but in 2018 I established Fire Doors Ireland because that area was growing fast. Fire doors have only recently become part of fire safety regulations and so now the need for them in buildings and homes is increasing. We are very busy now and a lot of our work is being done in conjunction with the HSE,” he revealed.

The company is a Q Mark Certified manufacturer, maintainer and installer of fire-rated doors and door sets, and is catering to the “growing demand” for fire safety compliance in Ireland and the UK.

FDI is also currently in the process of purchasing a Robotic Spray Booth, and is investing in automated manufacturing processes for a new state-of-the-art manufacturing plant, which recently secured planning permission.

Declan and FDI will represent Cavan by competing against 30 other finalists from across the country vying for a share of a €35,000 prize fund when judging takes place later this month.

Other winners on the night include:

Best Start-up Business, Paydai Technologies Ltd; Best Green Business, Crafts of Ireland; Best Digital, Tommy Farrelly, Pressure Washers Ltd; Best Export, Mixer Sauces Ltd; while Cootehill Precision Engineering Ltd picked up an Outstanding Achievement Award.

Crafts of Ireland is managed by Sandra Coote in Virginia. Based on a sixth generation family farm, the business is dedicated to the promotion and preservation of traditional Irish crafts and skills. It serves as both a craft studio and heritage hub, offering a wide range of experiences, workshops and handcrafted products that reflect Ireland’s cultural heritage.

“We had previously been shortlisted at Showcase ‘25 for a sustainability award; our business is sustainable in that we use wool from our own sheep - we do all the work ourselves, so that level of sustainability is actually built into our business, and that is why we were chosen for the Best Sustainable Business Award.”

Cootehill Precision Engineering Ltd was established in 1992 by Gerry McIntyre and has since emerged as a stalwart in the engineering industry. Through its excellence, competitive pricing, and timely delivery, the company has become a “cornerstone” in the ever-evolving industry landscape.

“We put a lot of work in with LEO Cavan to get the grant and get the project across the line,” Aaron McIntyre told The Anglo-Celt. “Without Cavan LEO, the support and mentorship, we wouldn’t have been able to do this so we are all very grateful to them,” he added.

Farrelly Pressure Washers Ltd took Best in Digital. A delighted Tommy Farrelly told the Celt. “It really is great to get the recognition.”

The company manufactures speed wash, car wash, and pressure washer systems for cars, food factories and abattoirs.

“All our products are manufactured in Virginia, Co Cavan and we only used top quality products,” adds Tommy.

“We built a new premises recently and LEO Cavan provided us with help on the digital side of the business,” he said, thanking Cavan LEO and revealing an ambition to further expand his business in the future.

Best New Start-up

Went to PayDai Technologies, established last year by Josh Ajayi (Virginia) and Sean Duffy (Donegal). The company looks to assist sales reps and businesses to pay salary and commission on time.

“The idea started last year and was based on our online experience dealing with sales reps, commission and contractors,” said Josh before adding the local company has sales reps and companies from all over the world on its books.

“Many were not getting paid on time or not getting the commission owed to them so we provide a solution to that,” explains Josh.

“LEO Cavan has been really helpful to us and has supported us in going international,” he added.

Best Export winner, Mixer Sauces Ltd has been in Cavan since 2017. Based in Killygarry, the family-run business has gone from strength to strength since inception.

Run by Irene Donegan, her daughter Aideen and Sean, the business specialises in sauce manufacture, supplying restaurants, cafés and deli’s both here in Ireland and abroad.

“We source some of our ingredients locally; everything is produced in Cavan and sold on to wholesalers and those in the sandwich-making business,” Irene told the Celt.

“We are delighted to have won the LEO Cavan enterprise award, it means a lot to us and we are honoured to receive it.”

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