128 businesses make shortlists for Chamber business awards

THE finalists for the 2025 Carlow Business Awards have been revealed, with 128 businesses from across the county making the shortlist across 22 categories.

County Carlow Chamber of Commerce, which organises the annual awards, selected the finalists from over 500 nominations following what it described as “an exhaustive process” involving nominations, shortlists, presentations, assessments and mystery audits.

“The Carlow Business Awards are always popular within the business community – and something that we in the chamber are very proud of,” said Norah Ryan, president of County Carlow Chamber of Commerce. “We were so impressed with the calibre of businesses that were nominated this year. It reflects the diversity, dynamism and quality of businesses operating throughout the county – and it bodes well for the future of Carlow.” 

The 128 finalists represent 94 different businesses from across the county, competing in categories ranging from Best Online Presence to Carlow Business of the Year.

Carlow Credit Union is returning as overall sponsor for the second consecutive year. CEO Ultan Ryan praised the high standard of entries, saying: “These awards represent a vital opportunity to recognise and reward excellence across the business community. The task of the judging panels and mystery audit panels was not enviable – the standard was exceptionally high – and we would like to congratulate everyone that entered and wish the best of luck to the finalists.” 

Among the notable finalists are several businesses competing in multiple categories. Visual Carlow appears in both the Business Supporting Community Award and Culture, Heritage and Tourism Award categories, while Blake’s Hair Salon features in three separate categories including Customer Service Award and Personal Services Award.

The coveted Carlow Business of the Year Award will see competition between Burnside Eurocyl Limited, Jones Engineering Manufacturing Ltd, MSD Carlow, TelLab, and Woods Contract Cleaners.

Regional representation is evident across the premises categories, which are divided geographically. The Carlow Town category features businesses including Blake’s Hair Salon, Calluna Bar & Grill, and Moka Coffee Carlow. For the south of the county, finalists include Barrow Blend, Joyces of Borris, and The Old Post Office Café, while some finalists in the north county category include Ballykealey House Hotel, Brew Stop Café, Hacketstown, and The Green Lemon in Rathvilly.

In the hospitality sector, several establishments are vying for recognition across different dining categories. The Talbot Hotel Carlow appears as a finalist for both Best Online Presence and Daytime Dining, while Waterlilies features in multiple categories including Premises South, Business Supporting Community Award, and Food and Beverage Producers Award.

The Best Emerging Business category showcases newer enterprises including Brew Stop Café in Hacketstown, Cloud Craft Limited, Empower Aesthetics, Fawn Laser, Flowering Fertility Support, Kobido Ireland, and S&R Property Experts.

The International Business Award features established companies including Burnside Eurocyl Limited, Eskimo Software, Netwatch, and Torc Candles, highlighting Carlow's growing global business presence.

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at Visual Carlow on Thursday 18 September. Tickets went on pre-sale for finalists last week and are now available to the public through the Events page of the chamber website at www.carlowchamber.com.