Award-winning Tipperary honey farm to make a buzz at National Ploughing Championships

A small business from Cahir will get the chance to exhibit themselves to almost 300,000 people at the National Ploughing Championships in Screggan, County Offaly next month as part of the Local Enterprise Village.

Aoife Mac Giolla Coda from Galtee Honey Farm is supported by Local Enterprise Office Tipperary. 

The business produces award-winning raw Irish honey and beeswax gifts from native Irish honeybees. 

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Home to 200 colonies, the business started in 1970 and has grown and developed since then, the honey is fully traceable and the gift range includes candles and skin care products. 

The Local Enterprise Village, an initiative of the Local Enterprise Offices, will house 30 small businesses from across the country and will be located at the heart of this year’s National Ploughing Championships in Offaly from the 16th to 18th September. 

This year the Local Enterprise Offices are partnering with Google to enhance the offering within the Local Enterprise Village. Google will have their own area within the Local Enterprise Village where they will be hosting talks and demonstrations for small businesses and entrepreneurs who are looking to improve their business by utilizing digital tools and AI.   

The Local Enterprise Village was launched by Niamh Smyth, T.D., Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation at an event in Google. 

Niamh Smyth TD, Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation, said:

"This partnership between the Local Enterprise Offices and Google for the Ploughing Championships is an extremely positive development for the Local Enterprise Village at this year’s event. 

"It will give small business owners both exhibiting and visiting the Ploughing the chance to tap into Google’s expertise in the areas of digitisation and AI in how they can significantly impact their business.  I’m looking forward to visiting the Local Enterprise Village in September at the Ploughing and meeting with the array of businesses that will be there and seeing first-hand how they can benefit from this partnership with Google."

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With some of the biggest companies and organisations in Ireland taking up residence at the Ploughing every year, the Local Enterprise Village continues to be a popular destination on the site for those looking to pick up something unique to bring home from some of the best small businesses in Ireland.

The Local Enterprise Village will showcase the very best of Irish entrepreneurship and will house businesses across all sectors from natural skincare and organic soy candles to sustainable fashion and eco-friendly 3D printed sensory toys.   

Ahead of the event, Aoife said she is "delighted to represent LEO Tipperary at the Local Enterprise Village in Screggan this year. It is an honour to be selected and to join the 30 other small businesses to showcase our products to a national audience".

"It is also a fantastic opportunity for us to engage with existing customers and to develop connections with prospective customers over the 3 days!." 

The Local Enterprise Village is just one of a number of initiatives that the Local Enterprise Offices run, to foster entrepreneurship across the country.

Others include Local Enterprise Week, the National Enterprise Awards, the Student Enterprise Programme, National Women’s Enterprise Day and Local Enterprise Showcase.

The Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities are funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland. 

Established in 2014, the Local Enterprise Offices are the essential resource for any entrepreneur looking to start a business or any small business that is looking for support or advice to help them grow.

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Since their inception in 2014, the Local Enterprise Offices have helped create over 80,000 jobs across the country.

The LEOs work with thousands of client companies across Ireland in a diverse range of sectors offering mentoring, training, expert advice and financial supports to small businesses.

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