All-Ireland Business Champions

The All-Ireland Business Champions

In 2019, National Ploughing Association’s Anna May Mc Hugh, John Teeling, Business Visionary & Legendary Entrepreneur, were both honoured with the ‘All-Ireland Business Champion 2019’ awards for their impact on the Irish business community.

In 2018, Supermac’s MD Pat McDonagh and Chanelle, Lady McCoy, co-founder of Chanelle Medical, were both honoured with the ‘All-Ireland Business Champion 2018’ awards for their impact on the Irish business community.

Hotelier and former All-Ireland winning Gaelic football manager Brian McEniff was honoured with
an ‘All-Ireland Lifetime Honorary Achievement Award’.

The three recipients shared their experiences and also spoke of their drive to achieve success across a number of industries from
hospitality to pharmaceuticals to fashion and broadcasting.

All-Ireland Lifetime Achievement
Award 2019 - Fergal Quinn

RIP 1936-2019

Feargal Quinn was founder of the Superquinn supermarket chain, which he sold in 2005 before it was taken over by the Musgrave Group in 2011. He has made a wide range of contributions to Irish life. Most prominently, he was Chairman of An Post for ten years and has served as Chairman of Dublin’s St. Patricks Festival.

He has been an independent member of the Seanad for 23 years (1993-2016). He was Adjunct Professor at the National University of Galway and chaired the Government's “Springboard” initiative which provides jobseekers with the opportunity to upskill or retrain. He was also chairman of the Independent Alliance political grouping.

All-Ireland Business Champion 2019
- Anna May Mc Hugh

Managing Director, National Ploughing Association

Anna May McHugh lives close to the village of Ballylynan, Co Laois and has lived in this area all her life.

She was married to John McHugh (RIP), has one son, one daughter and 4 grandchildren.

Anna May was educated in St Patrick’s National School, Ballylynan, St Brigids Secondary School in Athy, Co Kildare where she also completed a commercial course.

All-Ireland Business Champion 2019 - John Teeling
Business Visionary & Legendary Entrepreneur

John Teeling is closely associated with the renaissance in Irish whiskey. He established the first new distillery in 100 years in Cooley in 1987 and subsequently re-opened Lockes. The group was sold to Jim Beam in 2011.

He then set up the Great Northern Distillery, on the former Harp Brewery site, which operates both single malt and grain distilleries on one site in Dundalk.

It is now the second largest distilling company in Ireland. In a long business career in Ireland, John has been involved in a wide range of businesses from textiles to exploration.

All-Ireland Lifetime Achievement
Award 2018 - Brian McEniff

Legendary Donegal GAA All-Star &
Entrepreneur McEniff Hotel Group

Brian McEniff (born 1 December 1942) is a former Gaelic football manager. Regarded as a Gaelic football Godfather-type the high point of his managerial career was his masterminding of Donegal's 1992 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final victory over Dublin. In his most recent spell as manager of his county team he led them to the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-finals in 2003.

McEniff has also managed Ulster for 25 years from 1982 until 2007, and has coached the Ireland international rules football team to victory over the Australia international rules football team in Australia. As a player, he received an All Star Award in 1972 and twice won the Ulster Senior Football Championship.

All-Ireland Business Champion 2018
- Chanelle, Lady McCoy

Dragon's Den Investor, Successful Business Woman in Pharmaceuticals & Fashion Co-founder, Chanelle Medical

Chanelle, Lady McCoy recently ranked no 23 in the ‘50 incredible people shaping modern Ireland’. She co-founded Chanelle Medical, part of the multi-million pound global company Chanelle Pharmaceutical Group based in Galway. Chanelle is the newest dragon on the TV series Dragon’s Den in Ireland and is also married to horseracing legend Sir AP McCoy.

All-Ireland Business Champion 2018 - Pat McDonagh
Founder & Managing Director of Supermac's

Pat McDonagh is the founder and Managing Director of Ireland’s most successful indigenous quick service restaurant group, Supermac’s. Supermac’s currently operates 108 restaurants throughout Ireland and Northern Ireland. The company employs over 2,700 people nationally and has helped to establish up to 60 self-employed franchisees in their own successful businesses.

All-Ireland Honorary Award 2018 - Shevlin Twins
World Champion Irish Dancers

Niamh & Gavin Shevlin are World Champion Irish Dancers. Born and raised in Donegal they began Irish Dancing at the age of four. Since then they have travelled the world with their dancing career. They have danced in Ireland, England, Scotland, Spain, France, Belgium, Portugal, Malta, America, Canada and China and have picked up many titles along the way.

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