The second Goss.ie Women of the Year Awards will take place on Sunday, October 1st, at The Royal Marine Hotel in Dun Laoghaire, with well-known broadcaster and entrepreneur Gráinne Seoige as host.
The star-studded event will honour women across multiple genres, including business, sports, the arts, social justice and more.
We have also launched two people’s choice awards, including a ‘Local Hero’ category, where Goss.ie readers can nominate local women in their area who have contributed to their communities; as well as ‘Local Businesswoman’ where readers can vote for women in business in their locality.
This year the awards are in partnership with Google, Catrice Cosmetics, Gym Plus, Local Enterprise Office and Xin Gin.
Women’s Aid is our official charity partner for 2023 once again, and we will also be running a charity raffle on the day to raise funds for the charity.
Our highly esteemed and all-female judging panel will decide the winners of each category.
The Writer of the Year category, sponsored by Casillero del Diablo, shines a spotlight on Ireland’s top literary talent.
From best-selling thrillers to emotional coming-of-age novels, these women are all master storytellers in their own right.
Take a look at this year’s nominees:
Liz Nugent
Liz Nugent has enjoyed a rewarding career in film, theatre, television and literature.
The Dublin native’s first novel Unravelling Oliver was published in March 2014, and subsequently won Crime Novel of the Year at the Irish Book Awards as well as being long listed for the International Dublin Literature Prize 2016.
In 2021, Liz accepted the James Joyce Medal from the L&H Society of University College Dublin – previous recipients of which include former US President Bill Clinton and renowned Irish poet Seamus Heaney.
Liz has authored five crime novels in total, the latest of which, Strange Sally Diamond, was published in March.
Emer McLysaght & Sarah Breen
Bestselling duo Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen are credited with the creation of the hilarious and much-loved fictional character Aisling.
There have been four instalments of the coveted series over the past five years.
Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling was the best-selling fiction title of 2017, and its sequel The Importance of Being Aisling won the award for best popular fiction book at the 2018 Irish Book Awards.
The series’ fifth and final instalment Aisling Ever After was published in August.
Cecelia Ahern
Cecelia Ahern remains one of Ireland’s most recognised authors.
At just 21 years old, she wrote debut novel PS, I Love You, which was later turned into a critically-acclaimed film starring Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler.
The mum-of-two’s books have sold 25 million copies internationally and have been published in 30 languages in over 40 countries.
Cecelia released her latest novel In a Thousand Different Ways last year.
Catherine Ryan Howard
Cork native Catherine Ryan Howard is an internationally bestselling crime author, and her debut thriller Distress Signals was published in 2016.
Her 2021 novel 56 Days was named a Best Thriller of 2021 by the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Irish Times, won Crime Novel of the Year at the Irish Book Awards and was an Irish No.1 bestseller.
Catherine’s latest psychological thriller The Trap was released last month, and has since received rave reviews.
Claire Keegan
Claire Keegan, best known for her short stories, has been a member of Aosdána since 2008.
The author is highly decorated, having won the inaugural William Trevor Prize, the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature, the Olive Cook Award and the Davy Byrne’s Irish Writing Award 2009.
The Wicklow native’s “long, short story” Foster was adapted by writer/director Colm Bairéad in 2021 and released as Oscar-nominated film An Cailín Ciúin (The Quiet Girl) in May 2022.
Claire’s latest collection of short stories So Late in the Day: Stories of Women and Men was published earlier this year.
Rachel Connolly
After completing a degree in maths and physics with the initial aim of landing a “stable job”, Rachel Connolly decided to pursue writing instead.
Throughout her career, the Belfast native has written for a number of well-known publications – including the New York Times magazine, The Guardian and the Financial Times.
Rachel’s debut novel Lazy City, a coming-of-age story, was published in August.
The Writer of the Year category is sponsored by our official wine partner Casillero del Diablo.
More than 100 years ago, Don Melchor de Concha y Toro reserved for himself an exclusive batch of his best wines. To keep strangers away from his private reserve, he spread the rumour that the Devil lived in that place. Hence the name: CASILLERO DEL DIABLO, THE DEVIL’S CELLAR.
Their collection of premium wines are made with grapes selected from Chile’s best wine valleys. Each creation portrays the essence and typicity of its variety with a combination of carefully cultivated aromas, flavours, and styles.
Casillero del Diablo’s Reserva range is priced at €12 and is available across retail and off-license stores nationwide. Keep an eye out for offers in your local store. View the full Casillero del Diablo range on their website www.casillerodeldiablo.com.
Find Casillero del Diablo on Instagram @casillerodeldiablo_ire
