PHILIP AND Mary Cushen and daughter Miriam of Cushendale Woollen Mills will represent Kilkenny at the 22nd National Enterprise Awards at the Mansion House, Dublin on June 2.
Cushendale Mills crafts contemporary Irish textiles with an unrivalled provenance dating back to the 13th Century.
The family business crafts textiles of Irish wool, mohair and lamb’s wool, in small batches from fleece to fabric, ensuring exceptional quality for the home and international market.
It is the sixth generation of the family business and the mill is one of last remaining mills in Ireland that continues to operate as a vertical mill, working with sheep’s fleece and processing it, under the one roof.
Cushendale will compete against 30 other finalists from every local authority area for a share of the €50,000 winner’s prize fund.
NEW AWARDS
Categories include Best Export Business, Best Start-Up and Innovation, in addition to eight regional awards.
There are also two new National Enterprise Awards, One to Watch and Sustainability/Green awards.
Previous national winners from County Kilkenny included Mileeven, Mechanical Modular Solutions and MyBio.
Fiona Deegan, Head of Enterprise with Local Enterprise Office Kilkenny told Kilkenny Press:
“These awards provide an opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge the contribution of small businesses to our local economy.
“Small businesses have endured two of the most challenging economic years and having negotiated that are coming out stronger and looking forward to the opportunities that lie ahead.”
The awards are one of a number of initiatives that the Local Enterprise Offices run, to foster entrepreneurship across the country.
Others include Local Enterprise Week, the Student Enterprise Programme, National Women’s Enterprise Day and Local Enterprise Showcase. For more information see www.Local Enterprise.ie
