Five local companies among 96 nationwide honoured for their efforts

Five Galway companies are among the 96 nationwide shortlisted for the Bank of Ireland Startup Awards 2017.

The competition, now in its sixth year, recognises and rewards Irish startups for their success in business across 13 categories including digital, health and healthcare, food and drink, retail, fintech and technology with the awards taking place in the Mansion House in Dublin today (Thursday).

The Gort-based Celtic Fairy Doors has been shortlisted in two categories, ‘Creative Retail Startup’ and ‘Home or Craft Based Startup’, while Food 360 has been shortlisted in the ‘Food and Drink Entrepreneurial Startup’ along with The Galway Food Company.

OGTEC Engineering Services has been shortlisted in the ‘Service Startup’ category while BinStrap has been nominated in the ‘Sustainable Startup’ category.

Celtic Fairy Doors was started in February 2016, by husband and wife team Tony Perry and Joanna White, and they make totally handcrafted original fairy doors, fairy houses, accessories and night lights.

Based at Barna, Tubber, Gort, their produce can be seen at craft fairs, markets, shows and through their online shop www.celticfairydoors.ie

Starting at the market in Ennis, Celtic Fairy Doors then began to wholesale their handcrafted fairy doors and they currently have 15 stockists in Cork, Limerick, Clare and Galway, and the number of outlets continues to grow.

The development of the wholesale side of the business has been a new challenge to the husband and wife team.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.