€15,000 prize fund for Business with Irish Awards

AT the launch of the Gnó Mhaigh Eo 2018 Business with Irish Awards in the Linenhall Café last night (Thursday), details of this year’s lucrative prizes were revealed.

The awards recognise established companies and local enterprises in Mayo, outside of the Gaeltacht regions, who have effectively incorporated the Irish language into their business through signage, branding, social media, publicity material, customer service, website, or in any other way.

This year, the awards are worth over €15,000 in total, with the winners of each category being awarded advertising and soft supports worth over €2,500.

The awards are divided into four categories: Signage, Business Materials, Branding and Service. Each category winner will receive €1,000 worth of advertising from The Connaught Telegraph, €500 worth of advertising from Midwest Radio, a consultancy, design and print package to the value of €500 from All in Design & Print or Snap Mayo, mentoring and training from the Local Enterprise Office, bilingual brand development consultation with Gnó Mhaigh Eo, a custom-made award, specially designed by Mayo artist Ronan Halpin, and a hand-crafted wooden plaque of the business awards logo by Gerry Brannigan.

Along with these great awards in all four categories, generously sponsored by local companies and agencies, there was also a special announcement of sponsorship from national Irish language media – Raidió na Gaeltachta and TG4. Raidió na Gaeltachta has committed to providing a national platform to promote the awards and the winning companies, which is a great opportunity for businesses to maximise their business with Irish speakers.

This year sees the addition of a special overall winner – Gnó na Bliana – and the lucky winner will receive an advertising package worth €2,000 with TG4 and will be entered in the Irish Marketing Institute’s All-Ireland Marketing Awards. These awards are described as ‘the nation’s premier means of recognising the success of Irish marketing professionals and acknowledging their major contribution to the ongoing process of strengthening the economy of our island'.

Winner of the Branding Category in the 2017 Business with Irish Awards, Suzanne Kilkenny of Gúna Nua, Westport, had the following to say: “The Gradam Gnó Award has encouraged us to use our national language even more than before. Winning the award has helped promote our business both locally and nationally. Using the cúpla focal on our social media and in our store allows us to stand out from the crowd and Gnó Mhaigh Eo have been very supportive.”

Another category winner from 2017, Oisín Herraghty of the Linenhall Coffee Shop, said: “Since we changed our menus and received the award we have had great compliments and comments on our bilingual menus. The award itself has been great in helping us advertise through Midwest and The Connaught Telegraph, plus with All In Design & Print helping us with our printing needs we can promote and expand our use of Irish throughout the building.”

The awards are now open for applications. A business can enter themselves, or anybody can nominate a business. You do not need to be a fluent Irish speaker to participate, as the Gnó Mhaigh Eo team will be on hand to assist in every way.

This service is a designed bespoke package in which you are guided through the process of adapting some or all of your business to bilingualism. The Gnó Mhaigh Eo team will arrange a meeting with you and review your business in terms of its visual image – signage, marketing material, social media, advertising, etc. They will examine various possibilities in terms of the use of Irish in your business.

All Gnó Mhaigh Eo services are offered free of charge, as they are funded by the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and Mayo County Council.

There is plenty of time to prepare, as adjudication will take place at the end of March. This year’s Gradaim Ghnó ceremony will take place on Thursday, April 5, in the Linenhall Arts Centre.

The application process is very simple and Gnó Mhaigh Eo encourages any business in the county who uses the Irish language in any way to apply. The application form is available on the Gnó Mhaigh Eo website and must be completed no later than 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 8.

 

Further details can be obtained from Gnó Mhaigh Eo, by emailing gno@gnomhaigheo.ie or phoning (094) 9010140 or by visiting their website on www.gnomhaigheo.ie.

 

* Pictured at the launch of the Gnó Mhaigh Eo Business with Irish Awards in the Linenhall Café, Castlebar, were (from left) Ruth Ní Éanacháin, Gnó Mhaigh Eo, Freda Nic Giolla Chatháin, CEO, Áine Ní Chiaráin, board of Gnó Mhaigh Eo, Tereasa Nic Uidhir, chairperson, and Daithí Ó Gallchobhair, development officer. Photo: Frank Dolan