20 years celebrating successes of Cavan women in business
Image 1 of 6
Pictured at the LEO Cavan and Cavan Women in Business Network celebration of National Women’s Enterprise Day 2026 at Farnham Estate last Thursday were (from left) Deirdre Donnelly, Cavan Tourism Office; Cllr Winston Bennett, Stephanie Leonard, CEO of Kyte Powertech; Sandra Thompson, I/O Agri; Regina Bushell, founder and Managing Director of Grovelands Childcare; Cllr Carmel Brady, Cathaoirleach; Conor Craven, Head of Enterprise, LEO Cavan; Niamh Smyth, Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation; Margaret McKeon-Boyle, Extensive PR, Co-Ordinator of CWBC; Senator Pauline Tully; Lynda McGavigan, Director of Services, Housing, Libraries and Cultural Services, Human Resources and Corporate Services and Susan Leonard, Business Advisor, Cavan LEO.Image 2 of 6
A fantastic turnout of 120 women in business gathered to celebrate the 20th anniversary of National Women’s Enterprise Day in Cavan.Image 3 of 6
Kasia O’Reilly, Sana Naturals, Lisa Gilmour, Cavan Adventure Centre and Anita Maguire, Cavan Adventure Centre.Image 4 of 6
Margaret McKeon-Boyle, Extensive PR, Co-Ordinator of CWBC speaks to Stephanie Leonard, CEO of Kyte Powertech and Sandra Thompson, co-founder of I/O Agri.Image 5 of 6
Samantha Rogers, Barkers of Boxhill - Dog Grooming Emporium, Pauline Rogers, Hawthorne Lodge B&B, Deirdre Craven, Regional Manager North East Region Enterprise Ireland and Hafsa Hussain, 7c Jewels.Image 6 of 6
Deirdre Kellegher, CICS SiloClean Ltd, Lynda McGavigan, Director of Services, Housing, Libraries and Cultural Services, Human Resources, and Corporate Services and Tara McGovern, Business Advisor, Cavan LEO.More than 100 local business women gathered in the Farnham Estate last Thursday (October 15) to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the country’s largest celebration of women in business.
Hosted by Cavan Local Enterprise Office and the Cavan Women in Business Network, this year’s event, under the theme ‘Her Enterprise, Her Impact - Making it Happen - Cavan 2026’, focused on enlightening conversations around the realities of managing teams of hundreds of people to taking the leap into self employment.
As MC, CWBN Coordinator Margaret McKeon-Boyle from Extensive PR hosted a panel discussion between guest speakers Stephanie Leonard, CEO of Kyte Powertech, who spoke about navigating the Cavan town-based company’s buyout in recent years, and Sandra Thompson, co-founder of I/O Agri, who shared her insights on moving from a pensionable lecturing salary in Dublin to joining her husband in building their Cootehill startup that reduces emissions from livestock housing.
During the discussion, Stephanie advised women to be “as resilient as you possibly can”, and, for those who have something they want to do, Sandra encouraged them to “just go and do it and back yourself.”
Regina Bushell, founder and managing director of Grovelands Childcare, which operates seven childcare centres in the midlands, was the keynote speaker on the night. She spoke passionately about how her business grew from one preschool in her hometown of Athlone in the 1970s.
“When people look at Grovelands today, they see the building, the staff and the organisation,” she explained.
“They don’t see all the uncertainty and the mistakes or the nights I wondered if I was doing the right thing.”
“I did not set out with great ambition to build a chain of childcare centres. I saw a need for early education and I wanted to do something worthwhile about it.”
The event was officially opened by Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation Niamh Smyth, who spoke about the importance of the occasion in supporting businesswomen.
“For twenty years, National Women’s Enterprise Day has highlighted the additional societal changes and roadblocks faced by female entrepreneurs in building their business,” Minister Smyth told the crowd.
“But it also raises the awareness that women can and do overcome these challenges.”
In her address, Cathaoirleach Cllr Carmel Brady told those gathered that she is only the fourth woman to hold her title in the county, following in the “trailblazing footsteps” of the late Veronica Sharkey, Senator Sarah O’Reilly and her “dear friend” and former Cllr Madeleine Argue.
“It’s a sobering thought to consider that the first Cathaoirleach took office in 1899,” she said, adding that three of the four female Cathaoirligh have held the role within the past 10 years.
Conor Craven, Cavan LEO Head of Enterprise, also highlighted the support the office has available to women in business.
“Behind every successful business is a story of courage, resilience, innovation and determination,” he said.
“Tonight, we celebrate these stories.”
The next CWBN event will be a Christmas Fair and Dinner on Tuesday, December 1, in the Farnham Estate.