Offaly duo attend ACORNS tenth anniversary event

Two Offaly businesswomen were among those from across the country who came together in Mullingar this month to mark the tenth anniversary of ACORNS, the award-winning business development programme for early-stage female entrepreneurs from rural areas.

Representing Offaly at the event were Claire Guinan,  of Claire Guinan Art and Mairead Guinan, MGC – both based in Tullamore.

Hosted at Bloomfield House Hotel in Mullingar, the event was one of a series of regional gatherings designed by ACORNS to help former participants network with peers from different cycles. The events aim to help participants broaden their networks, do business with each other, focus on their development goals and exchange ideas on overcoming business challenges.

The invitation was open to former ACORNS participants from the region and leading the discussion was ACORNS Director Paula Fitzsimons and some of the programme’s voluntary Lead Entrepreneurs – Alison Ritchie, Managing Director of Polar Ice, Eimer Hannon, Managing Director of Hannon Travel and Anne Reilly, founder of Paycheck Plus.

ACORNS is a free initiative for early-stage female entrepreneurs based in rural Ireland. It has been running since 2014 and is funded through the Rural Innovation and Development Fund by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (DAFM).

ACORNS 10 is now underway. 56 early stage female entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland have been selected to participate.