Louth to Celebrate 20 Years of National Women's Enterprise Day
Female entrepreneurs, budding businesswomen and leaders from across Louth are being encouraged to get involved and register for this year’s National Women’s Enterprise Day in what will be the 20th year of the event after the line-up was announced.
The Local Enterprise Office (LEO) initiative will take place on Thursday 15th October with events scheduled across the country. There are 16 events nationwide and they feature a range of successful businesswomen, up and coming female entrepreneurs and amazing speakers in areas of sustainability, innovation, STEM, networking and marketing in what will be one of the biggest National Women’s Enterprise Day’s since its inception in 2006.
This year the Louth event is taking place in Monasterboice Inn, Drogheda on Thursday 15 October from 9.30am to 1.00pm followed by a Networking Lunch.
The event will be hosted by Breda McCauge, award-winning leadership expert with a unique career spanning the Irish Defence Forces, senior leadership roles in banking and global consulting. Passionate about empowering SMEs and supporting women in business, Breda will guide attendees through a morning packed with valuable insights and networking opportunities.
The keynote address will be delivered by Dr Niamh Shaw, scientist, explorer, engineer and space obsessive. Over 15+ years she has built an international platform reporting on human spaceflights – including live coverage of the Artemis ll launch. Alongside her media and speaking work, Niamh founded Town Scientist, a mission – driven community initiative and she hopes to fulfil her lifelong dream of seeing the Earth from space. Niamh was recently named STEM Professional of the Year at the 2026 Network Ireland Businesswoman of the Year Awards.
A lively panel discussion will follow, where Breda and Niamh will be joined on stage by two successful local entrepreneurs, Pauline Clarke, founder and owner of KooKee and President of Network Ireland Louth and Shóna McManus, CEO and Owner of Osborne Recruitment who will share their experiences, insights and advice on navigating the challenges and opportunities of entrepreneurship.
Nikki Campbell, Head of Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office Louth : “For two decades, National Women’s Enterprise Day has been about more than one day of events. It has been about creating space for women in business to connect, learn, share their experiences and access the practical supports that can help them move forward with confidence.
“Across the Local Enterprise Office network, we see every day the ambition, creativity and resilience of women entrepreneurs in every county. Our role is to help turn that ambition into sustainable businesses through mentoring, training, funding, expert advice and connections. As we celebrate 20 years of NWED, we want to recognise the businesses that have been supported along the way and encourage even more women to take the next step, whether they are starting out, scaling up or looking to reach new markets.”
The national launch by Minister Peter Burke took place at one of the event venues for this year, The Village Barn in Tyrellspass, County Westmeath. Peter Burke, T.D., Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, said: “National Women’s Enterprise Day is a hugely important date in the enterprise calendar. It is an opportunity to recognise the real progress that has been made in supporting women in business across Ireland. It is also a celebration of the ambition, innovation and resilience of female entrepreneurs who are building successful businesses in sectors from agtech and manufacturing to fashion and food.
“These are business leaders with the drive and confidence to grow beyond Ireland and compete on the global stage. As we look ahead, we must continue to ensure that women entrepreneurs have access to the supports, networks and opportunities they need to start, scale and succeed.”
This year’s events will cover a wide range of topics for women at every stage of business. That might be those who have an idea they want to develop or those who have been in business for a while and want to diversify or enter new markets. There will be experts in all areas involved from funding and networking to marketing and upskilling.
Established in 2014, the Local Enterprise Offices are the essential resource for any entrepreneur looking to start a business or any small business that is looking for support or advice to help them grow. Since their inception eleven years ago, the Local Enterprise Offices have helped create over 80,000 jobs across the country. The LEOs work with thousands of client companies across Ireland in a diverse range of sectors offering mentoring, training, expert advice and financial supports to small businesses.
Tickets, priced at €20 including lunch, are now available from www.localenterprise.ie/louth