This year’s finalists represent a diverse range of sectors, including consumer, technology, health and construction, as well as varied growth stages and entrepreneurial stories that reflect the continued strength and resilience of Ireland’s entrepreneurship landscape. Collectively they employ more than 3,000 people, generate revenues of close to €1 billion.

The finalists have been shortlisted across three categories – Emerging, Established and International – with each category featuring eight entrepreneurs who have demonstrated exceptional vision, leadership and impact within their industries and communities. Over the coming months, the 24 finalists will participate in the CEO Retreat, which this year takes place in Canada, designed to support strategic thinking and shared learning opportunities. They will engage in executive education, mentoring and networking with the EOY alumni community.

Celebrating 29 Years of Entrepreneurship

The 2026 programme marks the 29th year of EY Entrepreneur Of The Year in Ireland. Since its inception, the programme has recognised and supported more than 680 entrepreneurs, creating a powerful all island community known for its collaboration and peer to peer learning.

This year’s programme shines a light on the people driving Ireland’s innovation and growth at a time of heightened geopolitical instability and economic vulnerability. Across the world, businesses are navigating rapid change, supply chain disruption and shifting global markets, making the role of entrepreneurs more important than ever. The 2026 cohort reflects the individuals who continue to create opportunity, build resilience and shape the future despite these challenges.

Roger Wallace, Head of Assurance & EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Ireland, commented:

“Entrepreneurship in 2026 looks very different to even a few years ago. We are operating in a world shaped by geopolitical instability, rapid advances in AI and a level of economic uncertainty that demands creativity as much as resilience. Our finalists this year have not only adapted to this environment, but are shaping it.

“The 2026 cohort brings together entrepreneurs who are rethinking the possibilities of technology, from building standout consumer brands and advancing health and life‑sciences innovation, to delivering smarter construction and infrastructure solutions and creating entirely new business models from the ground up. They are creating jobs, solving complex challenges and opening doors to opportunities that did not exist before.

“The ingenuity and ambition we see across these 24 finalists reminds us why backing entrepreneurs matters now more than ever. They push boundaries, they take risks and they create the conditions for Ireland to thrive in a volatile world. I am genuinely excited to welcome them into the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year community and to support their journeys in the months ahead.”

The 2026 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year finalists are: 

This year’s finalists have been shortlisted by an independent judging panel of previous winners, chaired by Harry Hughes, CEO of Portwest and Chairperson of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Judging Panel who commented:

“This year’s judging process reminded us just how rapidly the world is changing for entrepreneurs and the environment they are operating in that has changed even in the past 18 months alone.

“Selecting just 24 finalists was an exceptionally difficult task. The entrepreneurs we met represent both long‑established sectors and fast‑emerging fields, but all of them are reshaping their industries with new ideas and new ways of working, and are turning challenges into opportunity.

“I am delighted to congratulate the 2026 finalists and welcome them into the EOY community. An invaluable experience now awaits them, one that will challenge, inspire and connect them with peers who are equally committed to shaping Ireland’s future in an unpredictable world.”

The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Ireland programme is supported by Premium Corporate Partner Julius Baer, and Government partners Enterprise Ireland and Invest Northern Ireland.

The post EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Ireland 2026 finalists announced appeared first on Ireland's Forecourt & Convenience Retailer.

Mr Brennan visited the business of the Fed’s Irish vice president Peter Steemers. His shop, Steemers – O’ Leary’s Day Today News has been operating in the town for the past century but is currently impacting by a range of economic and regulatory headwinds.  The Fed’s membership development executive for Ireland David McKeown was also in attendance.

Topics discussed included the year’s further increase in the national minimum wage which went up by €0.65 (4.8%) to €14.15 per hour to sit as the second highest in the EU, behind only Luxembourg.  Mr Steemers also highlighted members’ concerns about government taxation and associated regulatory costs, including the €1,800 combined Tobacco and Vape Licence.

The Fed representatives spoke about the rising spectre of retail crime with shop theft causing direct financial costs in terms of lost stock and the expensive security measures small retailers need to take in order to better defend their premises.

Mr Brennan said: “I was delighted to see Peter’s business and to discuss the vast range of product and services it provides. It is so important shops like this continue to both survive and thrive and I look forward to working with them – along with Fine Gael colleagues – in the months ahead.”

Mr Steemers said: “I would like to thank Mr Brennan for visiting the business and listening to the concerns of Fed members. He seemed genuinely keen to work with us locally and in Dublin and we hope to meet with him again at the Dáil Éireann.”

The meeting follows a recent discussion with Sinn Féin TD Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin, earlier in the month at the same business which was part of the Fed’s ongoing initiative to ensure retailers are heard across the political spectrum.

The post The Fed meets with Fine Gael TD Brian Brennan in Co. Wexford appeared first on Ireland's Forecourt & Convenience Retailer.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) published a new Guidance Note, Control of Listeria monocytogenes and Ensuring Food Safety in the Production of Certain Cook/Chilled Ready-To-Heat Meals, providing practical recommendations to help food businesses strengthen their food safety management systems and better detect and control Listeria monocytogenes.

Listeria monocytogenes is a pathogenic bacterium that causes listeriosis, a serious foodborne illness that can have significant impacts on health, particularly in older people, people with certain existing medical conditions and pregnant women. The guidance was issued as part of the FSAI’s ongoing response to recent outbreaks of listeriosis, including the outbreak in Ireland in 2025 and one in the United States the same year, both linked to ready-to-heat meals. These outbreaks of listeriosis highlight the risks associated with these products, if effective food safety controls are not in place.

Ready-to-heat meals are fully cooked during manufacturing but still require thorough cooking by consumers to make them safe before consumption. Although these products are not classified as ready-to-eat foods under EU legislation, food businesses have a responsibility to ensure all food placed on the market is safe to eat. The FSAI advises that certain types of ready-to-heat meals* can still pose significant risks if contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes despite carrying instructions for cooking by the consumer.

Mr Greg Dempsey, Chief Executive, FSAI, said:

“Listeriosis is a rare but potentially serious infection caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, which poses a particular risk to older people, people with certain existing medical conditions, and pregnant women. It is essential that consumers ensure that they handle these ready-to-heat meals as instructed on the pack and cook them thoroughly until piping hot, and in line with manufacturer’s instructions.”

“Protecting consumers from foodborne illness is a fundamental responsibility for all food businesses. This guidance highlights the importance of a proactive approach to controlling Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-heat meals. Food businesses must consider how these products are likely to be used in practice and ensure that appropriate controls are in place throughout the production process. By strengthening food safety management systems to better control Listeria monocytogenes, there will be less reliance on adequate cooking of the product by the consumer to make these products safe. We encourage all relevant food businesses to review this guidance and implement the recommended practices.”

The new guidance reminds food businesses that Listeria monocytogenes is a hazard that must be controlled during the production of these foods. The guidance will support the safe and consistent production, storage, handling and labelling of ready-to-heat meals. It emphasises that food businesses must take account of the “reasonably foreseeable use” of these products, recognising that some consumers do not always handle or fully cook them, as required by the manufacturer’s instructions on the pack.

The FSAI states that Listeria monocytogenes can survive and persist in food processing environments and may contaminate food after cooking, if effective hygiene and environmental controls are not in place. Ready-to-heat meals containing several components e.g. meat, vegetables, are particularly vulnerable where they are assembled after cooking and exposed to the processing environment prior to final packaging. If contaminated at this stage, domestic cooking may not always be sufficient to eliminate the risk, particularly where cooking instructions are not followed.

The FSAI Guidance Note 46: Control of Listeria monocytogenes and Ensuring Food Safety in the Production of Certain Cook/Chilled Ready-To-Heat Meals, is available to download from the FSAI website.

The post FSAI Publishes Guidance for Control of Listeria Monocytogenes appeared first on Ireland's Forecourt & Convenience Retailer.

The partnership focuses on protecting the high level personal, store-first service S&W has been built on for over 100 years; while also building it’s operational resilience required to support the increased volumes, peak trading periods, and future expansion.

Director John Paul Harkin of BradEx said:

“Six months ago, we spoke openly with S&W about their growth plans and proposed a trial using our city trailers. Maintaining personal service was essential, so we worked closely together, trained our teams to S&W’s standards, and became an extension of their operation. The trailers increased payload and reduced vehicle movements, supporting lower CO₂ emissions without compromising service.”

The partnership has been built around shared standards, collaborative planning, and a practical focus on what retailers need most: reliable delivery windows, consistent availability, and clear communication. BradEx drivers and their operational teams receive ongoing training aligned to S&W’s ways of working, ensuring service continuity across all routes and locations.

Clive Whylie, Head of Operations at S&W Wholesale, added:

“BradEx have strengthened our transport capacity while protecting what matters most to our customers: Service. Their drivers operate to our standards, which means our customers see dependable deliveries today and a stronger platform as we transition into our new warehouse and future growth. It provides our customers with the confidence that we are strengthen our operations as Your Trusted Wholesaler.”

S&W’s new warehouse development will further support their plans for enhancing product availability, range, picking efficiency and overall operational capability. Combined with the enhanced transport model, the investment will help S&W serve customers more consistently across the island of Ireland, while building greater resilience into its logistics operation.

The post S&W Wholesale Partners with BradEx to Strengthen Island-Wide Deliveries and Support Continued Growth appeared first on Ireland's Forecourt & Convenience Retailer.

Commenting on the appointment of the new Scientific Committee, Dr Wayne Anderson, Director, Food Science and Standards, FSAI, stated that access to the highest calibre of expert scientific advice and knowledge is indispensable for sound decision-making.

“The FSAI is a science-based authority, that is focused on food control activities that are underpinned by scientific risk assessment. The Scientific Committee plays a vital role in providing scientific advice to the FSAI from a multidisciplinary team of expert and independent scientists with a wealth of experience in food safety and nutrition. I would like to thank them for providing their time and expertise freely to benefit the work of the FSAI in protecting consumer health in relation to food and we look forward to working with them over the coming five years.”

The term of the new Scientific Committee is from 2 March 2026 to 1 March 2031, and the full list of members is as follows:

• Dr Geraldine Duffy, Teagasc (Chair)
• Dr Montserrat Gutierrez, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
• Dr Andrew Flanagan, Health Service Executive
• Ms Ann Marie Part, Health Service Executive
• Neil Rowan, Technological University of the Shannon
• Gillian Gardiner, South East Technological University
• Declan Bolton, Teagasc
• Jesus Maria Frias Celayeta, Technological University Dublin
• Mr Eoin O’Brien, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
• Eileen Gibney, University College Dublin
• Helene McNulty, Ulster University
• Dr Sinéad McCarthy, Teagasc
• Fiona Regan, Dublin City University
• Dr Craig Slattery, University College Dublin
• Ms Avril Hobson, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The post New FSAI Scientific Committee Appointed appeared first on Ireland's Forecourt & Convenience Retailer.