The second annual Goss.ie Women of the Year Awards took place over the weekend with a star-studded turn out.
The inspirational awards ceremony took place on Sunday, October 1st, at the Royal Marine Hotel in Dun Laoghaire.
Hosted by broadcaster and entrepreneur Gráinne Seoige, the event celebrated women across multiple genres – including business, the arts, social justice and sports.
Two special categories called ‘Local Hero’ and ‘Local Businesswoman’ also honoured women put forward by Goss.ie readers who have made an impact in their local area.
A host of well-known faces attended the event – including Rosanna Davison, Miriam O’Callaghan, Muireann O’Connell, Cecelia Ahern, RuthAnne Cunningham, Emer O’Neill, , Norah Casey, , Katie Hannon, Ellen Keane, Triona McCarthy, Hannah Tyrrell, Linda Keating, and Jenny McCarthy, to name a few.
Businesswoman of the Year went to Sharon Cunningham and Orlaith Ryan, who co-founded the speciality pharmaceutical company Shorla Oncology in 2018.
Popular singer-songwriter RuthAnne, the woman behind the viral wedding anthem The Vow and Irish Women in Harmony, was awarded Artist of the Year.
One of Ireland’s most well-known broadcasters, Miriam O’Callaghan, who has helmed RTÉ’s leading current affairs programme Prime Time since 1996, took home The News Industry Award.
In sports, Irish sprinter Rhasidat Adeleke was awarded Sportswoman of the Year, following another incredible 12 months for the 21-year-old in the world of athletics.
The Writer of the Year award went to Liz Nugent, whose fifth crime novel Strange Sally Diamond received rave reviews in 2023.
The winner of Rising Star was Niamh Donnelly, the co-founder and Chief Robotics Officer of Akara Robotics, an AI company focused on delivering innovative robotic solutions in healthcare.
The Best Start-Up award went to ReFunk, which was established by friends Anna Sheehan, Ellie Waters, Meredith Davis and Ellen Ryall in 2020. The sustainably-focused business connects conscious customers with freelance upcyclers who breathe new life into old furniture.
Meanwhile, Therese Coveney and Cathy Smith, Founder and Programmes Manager of The Together Academy, went home with the Trailblazer of the Year Award. Their unique social enterprise cafés provide young adults with Down syndrome specialised certified training, on-the-job experience, work placements and a critical social support network.
The Local Businesswoman award, nominated by Goss.ie readers, was won by Dara Shortt, who founded Comfort Homecare in response to the growing need for person-centred care in the comfort of their own homes.
And finally, the Local Hero award went to Ciara Jones, who has been branded an “unsung hero in the autism community”.
Nominated by a fellow parent in the autism community, the mother-of-three has been advocating for autistic people since her son Gavin was diagnosed with autism back in 2011 when he was almost two years old.
Members of the Republic of Ireland Women’s National Football Team were also honoured with a special Women of the Year award during the ceremony.
The team, lead by captain Katie McCabe, made history earlier this year when they qualified for the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia.
2023 will forever be remembered as the year that Ireland came together to support these amazing women, and it’s safe to say they won the hearts of the nation.
Check out the full list of winners below:
- Businesswoman of the Year (sponsored by Google) – Sharon Cunningham and Orlaith Ryan (Shorla Oncology)
- Sportswoman of the Year (sponsored by Gym Plus) – Rhasidat Adeleke
- Rising Star – Niamh Donnelly
- Artist of the Year (sponsored by Catrice Cosmetics) – RuthAnne
- The News Industry Award – Miriam O’Callaghan
- Trailblazer of the Year – Therese Coveney and Cathy Smith
- Best Start-Up (sponsored by Local Enterprise Office) – ReFunk
- Writer of the Year (sponsored by Casillero del Diablo) – Liz Nugent
- Local Hero (sponsored by Xin Gin) – Ciara Jones
- Local Businesswoman – Dara Shortt (Comfort Homecare)
- Women of the Year – Republic of Ireland Women’s National Team
All the winners of each category at the awards were chosen by a highly-esteemed panel of all-female judges.
The judging panel included Olympian Derval O’Rourke, Head of External Communications at Google Ireland Julie Dilger, Member of the European Parliament Frances Fitzgerald, Sports and Entertainment Broadcaster Gráinne McElwain, Senior Enterprise Development Executive Deirdre Carroll, Founder and MD of Seahorse Media Debbie O’Donnell, Broadcaster Muireann O’Connell, Founder and MD of Bolter Media Gillian Fitzpatrick, Founder and MD of Unicorn PR & Communications Valerie O’Reilly, Founder and CEO of Goss Media Alexandra Ryan, and Editor of Goss.ie Kendra Becker.
This year the awards were in partnership with Google, Catrice Cosmetics, Gym Plus, Local Enterprise Office and Xin Gin.
Before the event kicked off, some of our VIP guests got glam with our makeup partner Catrice Cosmetics, and had their hair styled by Robert Chambers Hair Salon.
Guests were treated to a reception of Xin Gin and tonics, before sitting down for a three-course luncheon in the stunning surroundings of the Royal Marine Hotel, with wine supplied by Casillero del Diablo.
During the ceremony, attendees were also surprised by a performance by up-and-coming singer-songwriter Ruby O’Kelly.
Guests also went home with a jam-packed goodie bag – including treats from Dripping Gold, Alter Ego, Aspects Beauty, Catrice Cosmetics, Gym Plus, and Xin Gin.
Women’s Aid was our official charity partner for 2023 once again and their CEO, Sarah Benson, delivered a keynote speech at the awards.
This year the awards were in partnership with Google, Catrice Cosmetics, Gym Plus, Local Enterprise Office and Xin Gin.
Before the event kicked off, some of our VIP guests got glam with our makeup partner Catrice Cosmetics, and had their hair styled by Robert Chambers Hair Salon.
Guests were treated to a reception of Xin Gin and tonics, before sitting down for a three-course luncheon in the stunning surroundings of the Royal Marine Hotel, with wine supplied by Casillero del Diablo.
During the ceremony, attendees were also surprised by a performance by up-and-coming singer-songwriter Ruby O’Kelly.
Guests also went home with a jam-packed goodie bag – including treats from Dripping Gold, Alter Ego, Aspects Beauty, Catrice Cosmetics, Gym Plus, and Xin Gin.
Women’s Aid was our official charity partner for 2023 once again and their CEO, Sarah Benson, delivered a keynote speech at the awards.
Women’s Aid is a national frontline organisation working to stop domestic violence in Ireland since 1974.
Every day, they prevent and address the impact of domestic violence, including coercive control and all forms of abuse against women and children.
They do this by providing free and confidential support services including the 24hr National Freephone Helpline on 1800 341 900 and an Instant Message Support Service at
www.womensaid.ie, mornings and evenings, 7 days a week.
They also provide Face to-Face support, small grants and financial assistance for women and support during court proceedings.
They also operate a project for women in high-risk situations and a pioneering programme in maternity hospitals.
Women’s Aid works to building a society with a zero tolerance of domestic abuse and all forms of violence against women by support Women’s Aid to advocate, influence, train, and campaign to reduce the scale of domestic abuse and the damage it causes to women, children and society.
