The Goss.ie Women of the Year Awards will take place on Sunday, October 9th at The Royal Marine Hotel Dun Laoghaire, with broadcaster Gráinne Seoige as host.
We will honour women across multiple genres, including business, the arts, social justice and sports. Plus we have launched a special ‘Local Hero’ category, where Goss.ie readers can nominate local women in their area.
This year the awards are in partnership with Google, Casillero del Diablo, Woulfe and Dingle Distillery.Â
Women’s Aid is our official charity partner for 2022 and will be delivering a keynote speech at the awards, we will also be running a charity raffle on the day to raise funds for the charity.
A highly-esteemed and all-female judging panel will decide the winners of each category.
For Trailblazer of the year, our judging panel looked at women who have used their voices to enact important change and strive for social justice.
Whether they created a new company to make a difference or they personally stood up and told their stories to help others, these women have all made a significant impact in Irish society.
Take a look at our nominees:
Vicky Phelan
Vicky Phelan has become one of the most prominent female advocates of our time, after bringing the cervical check scandal to light.
In 2018 Vicky stood at the steps of the High Court and gave an impassioned speech about how the system had horrendously let her down, and cost her her life
The cervical check scandal is now known as one of the worst women’s health scandals in Irish history.
Since receiving her terminal diagnosis Vicky has used her platform to fight for justice, and highlight the lack of cancer treatments available in Ireland.
A documentary following her fight to expose the truth of the scandal ‘Vicky’ will air in Irish cinemas on October 7th.
Aoibhinn Nà Shúilleabháin
Irish broadcaster, academic, musician and advocate Aoibhinn Nà Shúilleabháin made a stand against sexual harassment in universities when she bravely told her personal story in 2020.
The former Rose of Tralee contestant told of two years of harassment at the college she worked at, UCD, and how helpless she felt at the lack of action taken to help, support and protect her.
After speaking out Higher Education Minister Simon Harris stated that such incidents could never be repeated again.
And just earlier this year a new support service for those disclosing bullying, harassment, or sexual misconduct, or who have an allegation of inappropriate behaviour made against them, has been launched at University College Dublin.
Jackie Fox
Meet the woman behind the incredibly important Harmful Communications and Other Related Offences Bill (Coco’s Law).
After Jackie’s daughter Nicole died by suicide in 2018, after relentless online bullying, Jackie led a campaign to introduce new legislation against online harassment.
The bill, which also saw the criminalisation of intimate image abuse, was enacted in 2021, with the piece of legislation named after Jackie’s daughter.
Now Jackie gives moving talks in schools about the effects of bullying, and this year was given the Freedom of South Dublin.
Professor Tess Lambe
We have heard the term ‘not all heroes wear capes’, and when it comes to Professor Tess Lambe it’s safe to say some heroes were lab coats.
The biomolecular & Biomedical Science graduate co-designed the AstraZeneca vaccine, one of the first COVID-19 vaccine to be distributed during the pandemic.
Prof Lambe was recently recognised for her contribution to Science and Public Health with the award of an Order of the British Empire (an OBE).
The Kildare native said while designing the vaccine she had “never worked so hard” in her life.
Lynsey Bennett
Lynsey Bennett was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2017 after there was an alleged misinterpretation of her cervical smear slides, a case which was settled against the HSE last year.
The mother-of-two said she will use the settlement money to help her daughters Zoe and Hayley.
has used her online platform to raise awareness and uses her Instagram page (‘Cancer with Gratitude) to update the public on her ongoing treatment.
Lynsey has been advocating for more breakthrough cancer treatments to be brought to Ireland. In the last two years, she has been forced to travel to Germany and Mexico to undergo treatment that is not available in Ireland.
Izzy and Ailbhe Keane
Irish sisters Ailbhe and Izzy Keane founded the inspirational wheelchair design company Izzy Wheels in 2016.
The Galway duo were inspired to create the company after Izzy, who was born with Spina Bifida and is paralyzed from her waist down.
Izzy has always seen her wheelchair as a symbol of freedom but never felt it expressed her personality. Ailbhe created a range of colourful wheel covers for her sister’s chair as her final year project at The National College of Art and Design in 2016 and then began to collaborate with other designers.
Izzy Wheels became the first disability fashion brand to collaborate with world-famous brands; including Barbie in 2019 and Hello Kitty in 2020.
Roisin Nic Lochlainn
Former President of NUI Galway Students’ Union Roisin Nic Lochlainn has used her voice to highlight the devastating effects of intimate image abuse and campaigned for the introduction of the Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill.
In 2020 Roisin gave a moving interview on Joe Duffy’s Liveline, where she told her story of becoming a victim of ‘revenge porn’ when intimate videos and images were taken of her without her consent.
As well as continuing to fight for education around consent in universities, Roisin recently spoke of being stalked by a man who was later convicted of harassing a female journalist in a similar manner.
Eve McDowell & Una Ring
Eve McDowell & Una Ring spearheaded a campaign to create a specific offence for stalking in Irish law.
Both Eve and Una campaigned for the introduction of new laws, after sharing their personal stories of stalking, and using their stories to lobby for change.
In 2021 stalking legislation was introduced in the Seanad to make it a standalone criminal offence. The Non-Fatal Offences against the Person Stalking (Amendment) Bill, which proposed a new crime of stalking be put on the statute book, with a maximum sentence of 10 years.
Plans are in place for the law to be passed by the end of the year.
