Three local finalists in Entrepreneur of Year Awards

Final to be broadcast on RTE on Thursday night

Meath will be well represented at this year’s prestigious EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards which will take place tomorrow (Thursday) in Powerscourt Hotel, Co Wicklow. Charles Cosgrave of Village Vets in Dunshaughlin, Ashbourne, and Dunboyne, Lorraine Heskin of The Gourmet Food Parlour in Dunshaughlin and Neil Skeffington of Novelplast Teoranta in Gibbstown are among the 23 finalists shortlisted for this year’s prestigious awards.

Awards will be presented across three categories - Emerging, Established and International - with one overall winner selected as the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Ireland 2023. An additional sustainability award will be presented to the finalist who is making the biggest contribution towards environmental sustainability through their business.

Charles Cosgrave is CEO of Village Vets the largest independent veterinary practice in Ireland. Village Vets provides medical and surgical healthcare services for domestic pets. The practice employs 250 people across 19 clinics in Dublin, Meath and Wicklow. This year the practice will provide care to 125,000 patients.

Lorraine Heskin is the founder and CEO of The Gourmet Food Parlour. Established 17 years ago The Gourmet Food Parlour serves a range of quality, artisan dishes, using simple locally sourced ingredients whilst serving it all in a fun relaxed way. The restaurant group has grown to six locations across Dublin (including Arnotts), Galway and Meath. In addition, the group operates a large catering and events business and an additional sister brand Gourmet Gifts which Lorraine launched during the pandemic.

Neil Skeffington is the founder and CEO of Novelplast Teoranta. Novelplast is an innovative plastics recycling company based in Gibbstown, Navan. The company has a clear vision to improve the sustainability of plastics for future generations. They achieve this through developing recycling solutions for materials which are not typically recycled, that are then re-used in the plastics industry as a virgin substitute in a wide array of applications.

The 23 shortlisted entrepreneurs span a range of sectors including technology, manufacturing, healthcare, hospitality, retail, consumer products, and engineering. Collectively this group of world class business leaders are already generating annual revenues of more than €700M and employ over 5,000 people.

Roger Wallace, Partner Lead for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year programme said: “The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year awards night is drawing ever closer and the wait for our finalists is almost over. This year’s finalists are an incredible group of entrepreneurs who are achieving outstanding success both here in Ireland and across the globe. They represent a wide range of sectors, with sustainability businesses being particularly prominent this year. The finalists have certainly presented a challenge to our independent judging panel who have been tasked with selecting this year’s winners. On a personal note, I have really enjoyed getting to know each of this year’s finalists over the past few months and I wish them all the very best for the awards”.

Lorraine Heskin said: “I have enjoyed the EY Entrepreneur of the Year experience more than I could have possibly imagined. Not only have I learned so much from other business owners and made invaluable connections as a result, but I have had the opportunity to proudly share my own business story and found many similarities with others and the journeys they have taken. The sense of business community is so strong, and it makes me very proud to be involved with such a prestigious programme as well as being a part of the incredible Irish business community. I will take the relationships I have made and learnings from the programme with me for the rest of my career and I look forward to being part of the EY Alumni for many years to come”.

Charles Cosgrave said: The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year programme has been a transformative journey for me. Meeting fellow finalists and alumni has been an incredible opportunity to connect with like-minded people who share the same passion for innovation and business growth. The networking and mentorship that I have received through this programme have been invaluable, and I'm grateful for the relationships I've built along the way. As the awards ceremony approaches, I feel a mix of excitement and anticipation. It's an honour to be recognised among such a talented group of entrepreneurs. The awards are not only a celebration of our achievements but also a reminder of the hard work and dedication that has brought us to this point. I'm proud to be a part of this community and am eager to see what the future holds for us all.

Neil Skeffington: “It has truly been an honour to share the EY EOY platform with this year’s finalists. For such a diverse range of businesspeople from different many sectors, we have developed a unique bond and friendship as the year has progressed. The EOY Alumni are a fantastic network of peers who are always forthcoming with advice and assistance, and to now be part of that is of immeasurable value. All of the finalists are looking forward to awards night, more so as the culmination of what has been a life changing experience rather than in anticipation of winning the awards – though winning an award would be a bonus of course!"

Now in its 26th year in Ireland, the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Programme has established itself as a world-class development programme that supports, promotes, and connects an extraordinary community of entrepreneurs, championing entrepreneurship throughout the island of Ireland and around the world.

Since its inception, the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Ireland community has grown to a tight-knit network of more than 600 alumni who harness each other’s wealth of experience, with three quarters (75 per cent) conducting business with one another. Together, the EOY alumni community generates revenues of €25 billion, and employs more than 250,000 people across the island of Ireland.

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

The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Ireland awards will be broadcast live on YouTube from 5.30pm on Thursday 23rd November and will also be broadcast later that evening on RTÉ One television. For further information, please visit www.eoy.ie or follow the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year social media channels (Youtube: youtube.com/EOYIreland; Instagram: eoyireland )