Finalists for Celt’s Cavan Business Awards revealed

Special Awards to be presented to Kieran Callaghan and Noel Tierney

Thirty-two finalists across eight categories are getting ready to pitch their businesses ahead of this year’s Anglo-Celt Cavan Business & Tourism Awards, held in partnership with Cavan County Council.

The finalists are revealed in this week’s newspaper. They will attend a ‘Pitch Night’ at AIB Cavan this evening (Wednesday), October 2, when eachwill be given two minutes to tell fellow finalists, sponsors, judges and guests about their business or organisation.

AIB, one of the sponsors of the annual awards, traditionally host the pitch night, which provides a nice ice-breaker for finalists ahead of the gala awards later this month.

Aisling Vaughan is branch manager and she told the Celt yesterday the team are excited to host the event.

“The annual Pitch Night is a particular highlight for all our team. We get an opportunity to showcase our branch and meet our customers and all the businesses involved,” she explained.

The event also helps judges choose winners in each category and an overall winner to be revealed in the Slieve Russell Hotel on Friday evening, October 18.

Two special presentations will also be made on the Awards Night.

Noel Tierney from Multisound, Cavan Town, who shut up shop last weekend, will receive a Special Achievement Award for his contribution to the retail life in the county town over three decades.

Also Kieran Callaghan of Callaghan Electrical has been selected by the judging panel to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award.

A leading electrical contractor to the construction and commercial sectors in Ireland, Callaghan Electrical has become the first construction sub-contractor to secure funding under the Enterprise Ireland ‘Built to Innovate’ initiative.

As part of the wider government ‘Housing for All’ Programme, the ‘Built to Innovate’ initiative aims to achieve faster, higher quality construction of housing by providing funding for productivity training, innovation and digitisation.

Based in Cavan, Callaghan Electrical provides high-specification electrical installation, fitout and maintenance for a range of large-scale projects.

Founded in 1996 by Kieran Callaghan, Callaghan Electrical provides electrical contracting services nationwide and services the residential, commercial, education, public sector, industrial, healthcare and lighting sectors.

In June 2023, Callaghan Electrical opened a new office premises in Stradone.

Currently the business employs around 80 people and apprenticeships.

Two new categories in the mix for this year’s Business & Tourism Awards are Green Business of the Year and Best Fashion and Lifestyle Business, both of which attracted high-quality entries.

The Celt’s managing editor, Linda O’Reilly, said the standard of entries across the board was very high. “The judging panel had a tough time in choosing this year’s finalists and have an even more difficult task ahead in selecting overall winners. It never ceases to amaze me the depth of talent and creativity that exists in the business community the length and breadth of the county across a range of sectors - from one-man bands and small family businesses, to medium businesses and major multinationals.

“Cavan has a great entrepreneurial spirit. Its people are its biggest asset and Cavan really is a great place in which to live, work, socialise and do business.”

Ms O’Reilly thanked all the sponsors of this year’s event - most of which returned from last year.

The Anglo-Celt Business & Tourism Awards are about shining a spotlight on best practice and people across a wide variety of businesses.

Last year’s winners were M-Tec in Swanlinbar, which also claimed the title of ‘Best Family Business’.

This year’s event will return to a full gala dinner and award ceremony in the Slieve Russell Hotel in Ballyconnell.

The awards will be presented on Friday, October 18, when the overall Cavan Business of the Year will be named.