Five Tipperary businesses have been selected as finalists of the Irish Made Awards2022. This is the 6th year of the awards run by Irish Country Magazine. Overall the competition has 12 categories and the judges have now revealed the 116 finalists. The winners will be selected by a public vote via the website of Irish country magazine. One vote per email address, per day, in each category is allowed. Voting closes on 6 September, 2022.
The winners will be revealed at a very special awards ceremony on 7 October at The Morrison Hotel in Dublin. The categories include Gifts, Fashion, Food, Textiles, Sustainability and a new lifetime achievement award.
The Tipperary based finalists are:
Nunaïa – nominated in Beauty and Sustainability
Nunaïa is a 100% plant-based skincare ritual. Based on the shores of Lough Derg in Co Tipperary, founder Nicola Connolly worked as a sustainability consultant for over a decade. The range combines the latest in green beauty technology with ingredients sourced sustainably from the Amazon Rainforest and the Andes in Peru. Nunaia.com
Laoise Carey – nominated in Sustainability
Emerging designer Laoise handcrafts each of her pieces from start to finish in her design studio in Tipperary. Her SS22 collection Dancing in the Country is made-to-order in sizes UK4-26, created from 905 repurposed textiles and small amounts of deadstock fabrics including Irish linen and tweed. Laoisecareystudio.com
Heidi Higgins – nominated in Fashion
Designer Heidi Higgins once made her collections in Italy and Poland, but moved her design studio to Tipperary in 2019, where her pieces are made to order by her seamstress. Her design ethos is ‘elegance with a twist’, working with luxurious fabrics like Italian silk and minimising waste wherever possible. Heidihiggins.com
Naoi – nominated in Jewellery
Namitha Rajan is the maker behind quirky jewellery brand Naoi, based in Templemore. She designs, paints and decoupages on laser cut wooden planks (the laser cutting is outsourced to small businesses in Germany and Lithuania). Naoi jewellery varies from abstract, geometric designs to cute animal and nature motifs. Naoistore.com
Loom Irish Linen – nominated in Fashion
Loom Irish Linen create luxury sleepwear in soft Irish linen. The pyjamas are designed in Co
Tipperary, made in Co Dublin , using linen that is milled in Co Antrim. loomirishlinen.com
The Overall Winner of the Irish Made Awards will receive a prize worth €20,000 to support their business including:
A €10,000 marketing package with Irish Country Magazine, a stand at the Showcase Ireland trade show in 2023, a stand at Bloom in the Park 2023 and one-to-one mentoring with the design and craft council of Ireland, One-year membership of Guaranteed Irish which includes the opportunity to feature on GuaranteedIrishGifts.ie and a guest appearance on the Guaranteed Irish Business Podcast, valued at €5,000.
