The West Cork Business & Tourism Awards in partnership with Carbery, were presented at a gala luncheon at The Maritime Hotel, Bantry on Friday January 30th.
KEOHANE Readymix, based in Ballygurteen, was crowned the overall West Cork Business of the Year for 2025 at The Southern Star’s West Cork Business & Tourism Awards, as well as winning The Best Family-Run Business Award too.
The announcement was made by John Rea, CEO, Dairy & Nutrition at Carbery and Seán Mahon, Managing Director of The Southern Star at a packed gala luncheon last Friday.
The prestigious West Cork Business Ambassador Award went to Tom Kearney and Denis O’Driscoll, the partners who’ve developed Spice O’Life in Dunmanway into one of Ireland’s leading food, sauces and flavouring businesses.
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Judie Russell was MC for an uplifting and lively afternoon celebrating the best of business and tourism talent in West Cork.
The winners at a glance
Best Customer Service
Digital Forge
Best New Business
DRIP Coffee
Best Small Business
Cronin’s Hardware
Young Businessperson of the Year
MaryRose Shanahan
Best Use of Digital
Ballydehob Jazz Festival
Best Tourism Experience
Clonakilty Park Hotel
Best West Cork Festival
Fastnet Film Festival
Best Use of Sustainability in a Business
Clonakilty Food Co
Special Commendation for supporting the Local Community
Courtmacsherry Community Shop
West Cork Wild Atlantic Way Tourism Business of the Year
Atlantic Whale and Wildlife Tours
West Cork Business Ambassadors
Tom Kearney, Denis O’Driscoll
Spice O’Life
Best Presentation on Pitch Night
Sheenco Travel
Jamie O’Donovan and Shane Goggin of DRIP Coffee, Best New Business, with Conrad Murphy of Collins Brooks & Associates, category sponsor.
James Murphy, Stephen O’Sullivan and Robert Cronin of Cronin’s Hardware, Ballylickey, Best Small Business with Kevin Curran of LEO, category sponsor.
Aisling McGrath, representing Ballydehob Jazz Festival, Best Use of Digital, with Karolina Perednevaite of category sponsor Masterkabin.
David Henry and Aisling McGrath from Clonakilty Park Hotel, Best Tourism Experience, with Barry Holland of category sponsor Cork Airport.
Bridie D’Alton, Siobhan Jeffery and Helen Wells of Fastnet Film Festival, Best West Cork Festival, with Jason Field of O’Sullivans Marine, category sponsor.
John Sweeney, Lilly, category sponsor, with Elizabeth Carroll and Rory Copplestone of Clonakilty Food Company, Best Use of Sustainability in a Business.
Denis Cahalane accepting the Special Commendation for supporting Local Community on behalf of Courtmacsherry Community Shop from Katy Wareing of Ludgate, category sponsor.
Don Colbert and Gillian Foley (left and right of photo) of category sponsor Fáilte Ireland presenting the West Cork Wild Atlantic Way Tourism Business of the Year award to Mark and Patricia Gannon of Atlantic Whale and Wildlife Tours.
Paul Di Rollo, awards judge, and Neil O’Regan, Director, The Southern Star, presenting Genevieve Sheehan of Sheenco Travel with the award for best pitch at the Pitch Night which was held last December.
Cllr Caroline Cronin, deputising for the Mayor of the County of Cork, presenting Paudie and Eibhlín Keohane of Keohane Readymix with the Best Family-Run Business award, sponsored by Cork County Council.
Sean Mahon, Managing Director, The Southern Star, and John Rea, CEO Dairy & Nutrition, Carbery presenting Paudie and Eibhlín of Keohane Readymix with the overall West Cork Business of the Year 2025 award.
Representatives of headline sponsors Carbery: John Rea, Áine Hallihan, Shane Patterson, Nicole Whelan and Laura Bogue.
Scott Hornibrook, General Manager and Noel O’Donovan, Operations Manager, Maritime Hotel with members of the team who catered the awards gala.
Denis O’Driscoll and Tom Kearney of Spice O’Life were presented with the West Cork Business Ambassadors 2025 award.
Tracy McCarthy, Maud Black and Frances Bonner of Naturally Balanced, Black’s Brewing & Distilling and Bonner Travel respectively, proudly displaying their finalist certificates.
Cllr Caroline Cronin, Judie Russell (MC for the awards gala) with Maeve O’Regan and Neil O’Regan, Directors, The Southern Star.
Bantry, West Cork, Ireland. 30th Jan, 2026. The Southern Star Business Awards Gala Luncheon took place at the Maritime Hotel, Bantry on Friday last. A grand total of 14 awards were presented at the event to a packed room of finalists, sponsors, politicians and family and friends. Carbery Group was the Headline Sponsor. Picture: Andy Gibson.
Cllr. Deirdre Kelly, Barry Holland, Cork Airport and Cllr. Joe Carroll at the awards. Picture: Andy Gibson.
John Rea from Carbery addresses the room. Picture: Andy Gibson.
Seán Mahon addresses the room. Picture: Andy Gibson.
Event MC Judie Russell addresses the room. Picture: Andy Gibson.
At the awards lunch were Mary McCarthy and Rose, Breda & MaryRose Shanahan, all Wild Atlantic Recovery. Picture: Andy Gibson.
At the awards lunch were John & Ita Sweeney, Eli Lilly and Karolina Perednevaite and Oonagh Buckley, Masterkabin. Picture: Andy Gibson.
At the awards lunch were Tracy McCarthy, Naturally Balanced and Frances Bonner and Kate Tayler, Bonner Travel. Picture: Andy Gibson.
At the awards lunch were Shane Goggin and Jamie O'Donovan of Drip Coffee. Picture: Andy Gibson.
At the awards lunch were Finbarr & Kieran Hourihane of Clohane Wood Products. Picture: Andy Gibson.
Bantry, West Cork, Ireland. 30th Jan, 2026. The Southern Star Business Awards Gala Luncheon took place at the Maritime Hotel, Bantry on Friday last. A grand total of 14 awards were presented at the event to a packed room of finalists, sponsors, politicians and family and friends. Picture: Andy Gibson.
Attending the awards were Kevin Curran, Local Enterprise Office and Don Colbert, Failte Ireland. Picture: Andy Gibson.
At the awards lunch were Elizabeth Carroll and Rory Copplestone, Clonakilty Food Company. Picture: Andy Gibson.
At the awards lunch were Jennie Brickley and Niall McCarthy from Skibbereen Sports Centre. Picture: Andy Gibson.
At the awards lunch were Con Daly; Irene Collins; Geraldine Chambers; Sandra Limrick; Mags Deasy; Veronica Daly and Liam O'Brien, all Moneytree FInance. Picture: Andy Gibson.
At the awards lunch were Tara & Marian Davis of Body Active. Picture: Andy Gibson.
