Two Wicklow businesses shortlisted for prestigious export industry awards
Wicklow People
Today at 07:00
The Irish Exporters Association (IEA) has shortlisted Wicklow businesses Glenhaven Foods and Ventac in several categories for the prestigious Export Industry Awards.
Established by the Cahill family over 35 years ago, Arklow chicken product producer Glenhaven has been shortlisted in the Private Irish Business category, while Ventac, a Blessington-based supplier of acoustic solutions to the commercial vehicle and industrial noise sectors, has received nominations in the Export Innovation and Manufacturing Exporter categories.
The nominations represent a huge mark of recognition for the Wicklow companies, with the Export Industry Awards recognising excellence across Ireland's export sector.
The category winners and the 2025 Overall Exporter of the Year will be announced at a gala dinner on October 3 at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre.
Glenhaven and Ventac will also have an opportunity to participate in the IEA Masterclass given by Trinity Executive Education on June 16, which aims to support exporting companies and those who support the industry in developing adaptive strategies for fast-changing international markets.
Speaking after the shortlist announcement, IEA CEO Simon McKeever said: 'The Export Industry Awards are a celebration of the remarkable achievements of Ireland's exporters.
'I would like to congratulate all shortlisted companies on this outstanding accomplishment. The companies have not only demonstrated exceptional innovation and resilience but have also set a benchmark for excellence in the export sector.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
13 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
High Court hears from John Magnier's 'right hand man' in multi million Barne Estate row
A senior advisor described as a "right-hand man" to bloodstock billionaire John Magnier, who is involved in a legal battle over the purported multi-million sale of a Tipperary estate that fell through, has told the High Court he was not secretly "kept in the loop" of the tax affairs of the vendors. Financial advisor at world-famous Coolmore Stud, Eddie Irwin also rejected a description of him by counsel for Barne Estate as Mr Magnier's "fixer"and "right hand man". Mr Irwin said Coolmore did not use "catchphrases or fancy titles" but agreed with counsel that he would be called to work on projects if things went "wrong". Mr Irwin, who has 40 years' experience working with Mr Magnier, was called in to aid in securing the Barne Estate deal which the Magniers believed they had shook hands on in August 2023 for €15m. However, the Magnier side were ultimately gazumped in being the preferred buyer by Irish-born, US-based construction magnate Maurice Regan, who offered €22.25m. The case centres on Mr Magnier's claim that Mr Regan engaged in a "full-frontal assault" on Mr Magnier's claimed deal to buy the 751-acre tract and that Barne estate reneged on the deal. Barne Estate has been held for the benefit of Richard Thomson-Moore and others by a Jersey trust. At the High Court on Friday, Mr Irwin said he met with Mr Thomson-Moore in early September 2023 and they contacted tax experts KPMG after the Thomson-Moore family requested tax liability advice. A KPMG tax expert met with the Thomson-Moores later in the month as a "favour" to Coolmore, who were large clients of KPMG. Mr Irwin did not attend that meeting but allegedly sent a WhatsApp message to Mr Magnier telling him "off the record" that the tax expert, who was named in court, allegedly told him that the Thomson-Moores were considering whether to retain KPMG and that the expert had informed the Thomson-Moores of what approach he recommended. Mr Irwin answering Martin Hayden, counsel for Barne Estate, denied he had an "off-the-record" report from the expert that, counsel alleged, would keep him "in the loop" in return for introducing the Thomson-Moores to KPMG. Mr Irwin said the wording of the WhatsApp message was an "aberration" and "unfortunate" and that he meant for Mr Magnier not to share information already known from previous meetings as it was a "private" and not for dissemination. Mr Irwin told Mr Hayden that the named expert was an "innocent, decent, and honourable" man, who was being "defamed" in the court as someone who would keep him "in the loop" on private tax matters. However, Mr Irwin said he did have "grave" concerns at the time that the tax issue raised by the Thomson-Moores was put forward just before the September 29, 2023, end of an exclusivity agreement and may not have been a genuine one. Mr Irwin told Mr Hayden that he was told by Mr Magnier that a week after the alleged handshake deal that his son-in-law, David Wachman, received a call from Mr Regan, who was "angry and abusive" about the purported sale. Mr Regan told Mr Wachman that he would outbid the Magnier side by €5m to prevent the deal going through, claimed Mr Irwin. After the expiration of the exclusivity agreement on September 29, 2023, Mr Irwin contacted Eugene McCague, a former partner at legal heavyweights Arthur Cox, who represent Coolmore in these proceedings, and sought legal advice should the matter be litigated. In early October 2023, with the exclusivity agreement now expired, the local estate agent involved in the sale, John Stokes, told the Magniers that the Barne Estate had been subject to a €20m bid. The Magnier side then upped their bid to €16m with a separate, additional offering of €500,000 to establish a trust for a member of the Thomson-Moore family. Mr Irwin said he was told by the auctioneer that the Thomson-Moore's were happy to accept the Magnier offer but the Barne Estate solicitors never sent the contracts and the deal was never done. The Magnier side has sued the Barne Estate, Mr Thomson-Moore, and three companies of IQEQ (Jersey) Ltd group, seeking to enforce the purported deal, which they say had been "unequivocally" agreed. The Barne defendants say there was never any such agreement, as they needed the consent of trustees to finalise any agreement and subsequently they preferred to sell the estate to Mr Regan. Mr Regan is not a party to the case. The case continues before Mr Justice Max Barrett next month.
Irish Examiner
16 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Leaders on both sides of the border urge completion of Casement Park
Leaders on both sides of the border have urged all partners to 'find a way' to complete Casement Park. Northern Ireland first minister Michelle O'Neill said that it is now time for all those involved to sit around the table and find a way to start and complete the project. Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the opportunity to build the stadium should 'be seized', while Tánaiste Simon Harris warned against looking back to see that the moment was 'squandered'. Earlier this month, a British government pledge of £50m for the development of the west Belfast GAA stadium was included in Chancellor Rachel Reeves' spending review. However, that pledge still leaves the project far from its funding target under current plans. Plans for a 34,000-capacity stadium at the site have been mired in uncertainty because of a major funding gap. Stormont ministers committed £62.5m to Casement in 2011, as part of a strategy to revamp it along with football's Windsor Park and the rugby ground at Ravenhill. While the two other Belfast-based projects went ahead, the redevelopment of Casement was delayed for several years because of legal challenges by local residents. The estimated cost spiralled in the interim. Speaking at a meeting of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) in Armagh, Ms O'Neill said it is time for all partners to 'find a way to complete' Casement Park. Ms O'Neill said: 'We all have a role in making sure we get to that point.' Asked if the GAA should reconsider the plans for the west Belfast stadium development based on existing commitments for funding, Ms O'Neill said the stadium is now more expensive than if it had been built 'a long time ago'. She said the delays were due to a 'whole plague of problems' including planning and political issues. She said the redevelopment would bring 'major social and economic benefits'. Ms O'Neill added that Casement Park is an Executive flagship project. 'We now know what the pot of funding that we have on the table, but now it's time for all partners involved to get together and sit around the table and find a way now to complete and start the work on the project and to complete the project,' she added. 'I think we all have a role to play in terms of making sure we get to that point. 'But I think it's now time that we now know and understand the quantum of funding, that we now sit down together and actually work out the next step.' Deputy first minister Emma Little-Pengelly said it is 'now over to the GAA' to set out their expectations on their own contribution to the west Belfast stadium and any potential revisions to the development. She said there was a 'significant amount of need' in other sporting areas across the region with other facilities also needing to be upgraded. She added: 'We need to do so with fairness and equity. 'They are sitting on, I think, approximately £161 or £162m worth of public spending. 'It's now over to the GAA to decide can they cut their coat according to their cloth, or what their expectations are in relation to their own contribution.' She added that the GAA can 'do a huge amount' with existing funding commitments for Casement Park, and that the GAA should indicate what its contribution increase should be. Mr Martin said the Irish Government had given a 'very substantial' allocation to the project. 'I believe the prospect really exists for a stadium to be agreed and built and this is an opportunity that should be seized in a practical and realistic way.' Mr Harris said the recent British funding announcement was a 'huge step forward' for the project. He said the Irish Government stands ready to assist the project and warned against looking back to see that the moment was 'squandered'.
The Journal
21 hours ago
- The Journal
Court upholds Spanish government's order to block nearly 66,000 Airbnb listings
A COURT IN Madrid has upheld a decision by the Spanish government to block almost 66,000 Airbnb rental listings that it said violated local rules. Airbnb had appealed the decision by the country's government, which is taking action against short-term rental companies amid a housing affordability crisis. Spain's consumer rights ministry had 'urged' the US company's Irish-based subsidiary to remove 65,935 adverts which it said breached the advertising rules for this type of tourist accommodation. The breaches included failing to list licence numbers, listing the wrong licence number or not specifying who the apartment's owner was. In a statement to The Journal , a spokesperson for Airbnb said the decision by a Superior Court of Madrid 'is a procedural ruling and not a decision on the merits' of the ministry's order, adding that it will take 'longer to decide'. 'Airbnb is confident that the Ministry of Consumer Affairs' actions go against Spanish applicable regulations,' the spokesperson said. They cited a Spanish Supreme Court decision in 2022, which found that the host of a property is responsible for listing information, not the company, and said they always inform hosts that they must comply with all regulations when listing on their platform. The spokesperson said Airbnb has advocated for an EU-wide approach to short-term rental regulations, which will help make rules more consistent across the bloc. They also said that Spain has nearly 4 million vacant homes that make up over 14% of the country's total housing stock, 'almost 30 times more than accommodations exclusively dedicated to tourism'. Advertisement 'The root cause of the affordable housing crisis in Spain is a lack of supply to meet demand. The solution is to build more homes – anything else is a distraction. Spain has seen several large protests that have drawn tens of thousands of people to demand more government action on housing. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Spain, the world's second most-visited country, hosted a record 94 million tourists in 2024, making the lucrative sector a driver of its buoyant economy. But a housing affordability problem in Spain that is particularly acute in cities such as Madrid and Barcelona has led to growing antagonism against short-term holiday rentals, of which Airbnb is perhaps the best-known and most visible actor. The Spanish government says the two are related: the rise of Airbnb and other short-term rental companies, and rising rents and housing costs. Regional governments in Spain are also tackling the issue. Last year, Barcelona announced a plan to close down all of the 10,000 apartments licensed in the city as short-term rentals by 2028 to safeguard the housing supply for full-time residents. According to the latest figures published by the National Statistics Institute, 368,295 properties were dedicated to tourist accommodation in November 2024. Spain has seen several large protests that have drawn tens of thousands of people to demand more government action on housing. It was one of a number of European countries that saw demonstrations calling for a curb on mass tourism last weekend. Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in Spain, Italy and Portugal, with some carrying placards and others spraying tourists and hotels with water pistols. With reporting from Press Association Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
