Pictured at the Cavan County Enterprise Awards 2026, which took place in Kingspan’s state of the art IKON Innovation Centre in Kingscourt, were: Front (from left): Barbara Brennan, Mental Health Matters, Female Entrepreneur Award winner; Conor Craven, Head of Enterprise, LEO Cavan; Sandra Thompson, IO Agri, overall winner and Innovation Award winner; Cathaoirleach, Cllr John Paul Feeley; Shane O’Reilly, IO Agri; Eoin Doyle, Chief Executive, Cavan County Council; Monica Courtney and Colin Courtney, Michael Courtney Diesel Engineering Services, Export Award winners; back, Ciara Gorman; Enterprise Ireland; Cllr Niamh Brady (FG); Paddy Connaughton, Director of Service, Cavan County Council; Cllr Winston Bennett (FG); Cllr Carmel Brady (FG); Cllr Clifford Kelly (FF); Cllr Niall Smith (FF); Cllr Noel Connell (SF); Gillian Madden, LEO Cavan; John Potter and Thomas Coyle, Quote For It (Digital Award winners). PHOTOS: Adrian Donohoe

Cootehill firm crowned Cavan's top SME

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Cootehill based IO Agri, an innovative agri-tech business that helps to decarbonise agriculture by capturing livestock emissions, was the overall winner at the Cavan County Enterprise Awards 2026, which took place at Kingspan’s state of the art IKON Innovation Centre in Kingscourt last Thursday, March 5.

The firm’s founders Sandra Thompson and Shane O’Reilly were presented with their award on the day by Cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council, Cllr John Paul Feeley, and also scooped this year’s innovation award. IO Agri will now go on to represent County Cavan in the National Enterprise Awards.

Elsewhere, the Export Award was won by Michael Courtney Diesel Engineering Services; Barbara Brennan of Mental Health Matters scooped the Female Entrepreneur award; while Quote For It took home the Digital award.

Following the presentation of the awards, Cllr Feeley, said: “I am delighted to see that the enterprising spirit and ingenuity of Cavan’s businesses is alive and well. The innovation and work ethic on display by the award winners and, indeed, all the nominated businesses today is truly impressive and further proof, if any were needed, of Cavan’s growing strength as a business destination and an incubator of dynamic and robust new enterprises.”

A delighted Sandra Thompson of IO Agri, said: “Thank you to the team at the Local Enterprise Office, Cavan and Cavan County Council, and to Kingspan Group for hosting such a fantastic event at the IKON Innovation Centre yesterday.

“Congratulations to all of the other award winners on the day — it was inspiring to see so many innovative and ambitious businesses being recognised across the county. We are proud to represent Cavan at the National Enterprise Awards in June and look forward to continuing to showcase innovation from the region.”

Head of Enterprise at Local Enterprise Office Cavan, Conor Craven, said: “Our judges had a very difficult task selecting winners in every category such was the quality of all our entrants, but I think all our category winners and our overall winner are more than worthy of their awards. It’s particularly fitting that we hosted the awards at this magnificent IKON facility in Kingscourt. Employing over 26,000 people worldwide, Kingspan is proof that the sky’s the limit for Cavan businesses, and I have no doubt that all of the entrepreneurs in attendance today will have been inspired by their success.”

Cavan County Council Director of Service Paddy Connaughton also congratulated the winners who he said are “proof that with the right idea, hard work, and the support of your Local Enterprise Office, great things can happen!”

He also thanked the staff at the LEO Cavan for their work in supporting entrepreneurs and businesses across the county.

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