Monaghan's Best Businesses Celebrated at Inaugural Business & Tourism Awards 2026
Inside the inaugural Monaghan Business & Tourism Awards 2026 at the Nuremore Estate — the winners, the standout moments, and what the night means for every business in the Farney county.
The Farney county's business community had its moment in the spotlight — and what a night it was.
There are evenings that feel like a turning point. Not just in the story of individual businesses, but in the story of an entire county's relationship with its own ambition. The inaugural Monaghan Business & Tourism Awards, held in April 2026 at the stunning Nuremore Estate by McGettigans in Carrickmacross, was one of those evenings. With more than 30 finalists across 12 categories, a standing-room audience of local entrepreneurs, and a room crackling with genuine pride, the night delivered something that no press release could manufacture: the feeling that Monaghan's business community is not just surviving — it is thriving, innovating, and seriously ready to back itself.
If you run, work in, support, or simply shop locally in County Monaghan, this is a story that belongs to you.
A Night That Was a Long Time Coming
Organised by The Anglo-Celt in partnership with Monaghan County Council, with support from the Local Enterprise Office and Monaghan Tourism, the awards were the first of their kind for the county. The categories were deliberately broad and inclusive, covering everything from innovation and customer service to agri-food, green enterprise, best family business, and best newcomer. The goal was to build a picture of the full range and depth of Monaghan's commercial landscape — and by all accounts, it succeeded.
The awards were launched earlier in the year at the newly reopened Nuremore Estate itself — a fitting venue, given that the hotel's revival under the McGettigans brand is itself one of the county's most significant business developments in years. Set on 160 acres of rolling hills, shimmering lakes, and mature parkland outside Carrickmacross, the Nuremore was already beloved by generations of local families and visitors. Its new chapter — an extensive redevelopment blending heritage, hospitality, and sustainability — speaks to exactly the kind of enterprise spirit that the awards were designed to celebrate.
Robert Burns, Chief Executive of Monaghan County Council, set the tone when he called the awards "a platform that not only celebrates excellence but promotes a strong sense of local pride, enhances collaboration and networking across all sectors, and showcases the very best of what County Monaghan has to offer." That framing mattered. These weren't just gongs — they were a statement.
The Night's Standout Moments
A Standing Ovation for a Legend
Perhaps the most emotional moment of the entire evening came with the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to Ronnie Wilson, founder of Monaghan Mushrooms. There was a standing ovation as Mr Wilson took to the stage — and it felt entirely earned. The Cathaoirleach of Monaghan County Council, Cllr P.J. O'Hanlon, described Wilson as "a visionary entrepreneur whose journey, determination and leadership have made an extraordinary impact on the world of business in Co Monaghan."
From what began as a local agricultural enterprise, Monaghan Mushrooms has grown into a team of over 2,500 people — one of the largest mushroom producers in the world. That this happened in County Monaghan, built by someone born and raised here, is not something to be taken for granted.
In his acceptance speech, Mr Wilson was characteristically forward-looking, touching on Monaghan Mushrooms' involvement in the BioConnect Innovation Centre just outside Monaghan Town. "We want it to attract science graduates back to Monaghan, to undertake research, to understand the role biotechnology can play in the future of food, and to provide research and development services to local existing agribusinesses," he said. The aim, he added, is to provide well-paid, interesting jobs and attract investment from overseas. It's a vision that stretches far beyond one company.
Muckno Mania Takes Best Tourism Event
The Muckno Mania Festival Committee walked away with the Best Tourism Event Award — and the reaction on social media suggested it resonated deeply with the people of Castleblayney and beyond. In their own words after the win: "It's a proud day for Castleblayney and Muckno Mania. The award isn't just for the committee; it belongs to the volunteers who give their time and energy year after year. The partners including Monaghan County Council and the local businesses who back us. The community — every person who attends, cheers and makes the events so special."
For anyone unfamiliar with Muckno Mania, it is Castleblayney's premier summer festival — a vibrant multi-day community celebration built around Lough Muckno and the town itself. It draws visitors from across the border counties and beyond, pumping footfall and spend into local businesses every summer. Its recognition at the awards should serve as a reminder to every business in the area of the commercial power of community events done right.
Marron Electrical — Excellence in Customer Service
The Excellence in Customer Service (Retail) award went to Marron Electrical, with the presentation made to Brian and Trina Marron. It's the kind of win that resonates with local people because everyone in the county has walked into a business like Marron Electrical — family-run, local knowledge, faces you recognise, advice you trust. In a retail landscape increasingly dominated by online giants and out-of-town chains, that personal relationship between a local business and its customers is not an intangible soft value. It is a competitive advantage. Brian and Trina's win was a reminder of that.
The Rug Rack Company — A Story Worth Telling
One of the most interesting businesses to emerge from the awards was The Rug Rack Company, which won the Monaghan Local Enterprise Award and was put forward for overall Monaghan Business of the Year. Founded in Emyvale in 2023 by Padraic Nolan, it identified a gap in the equestrian market for easy-to-use airing racks to dry horse mats and blankets. A family business, born from industry knowledge, solving a real practical problem — and already successful enough to be pitching on a county stage just three years after launch. It is exactly the kind of story that a business directory like this one exists to amplify.
Why This Matters for Every Business in Monaghan
The awards are not just about the winners. They are a mirror held up to the county's entire business community, and what they reflect is something genuinely worth celebrating. Monaghan is home to world-class manufacturers like Combilift — one of Ireland's best-known forklift and materials handling companies, based right here in the county. It is home to Lakeland Dairies, Manor Farm, Silver Hill Foods, and an agri-food sector that is the largest indigenous industry in the region. It is home to hundreds of family businesses, restaurants, retailers, tradespeople, and service providers who employ their neighbours and keep money circulating in the local economy.
The Monaghan Business & Tourism Awards gave those businesses — big and small — a moment to be seen. The follow-through on that is straightforward: support them. Seek them out. If you are looking for a solicitor, an accountant, a café, a garage, a wedding venue, a tradesperson, or a hotel, look first at what Monaghan has to offer before clicking past to a faceless national brand. The businesses that won and were shortlisted at the Nuremore in April are on your doorstep. This directory exists to help you find them.
Looking Ahead: A County in Motion
What struck many observers about the 2026 awards was the sense of momentum behind them. This was not a nostalgic celebration of what Monaghan used to be. It was an ambitious look at what it is becoming.
The BioConnect Innovation Centre near Monaghan Town — backed by Enterprise Ireland, Monaghan County Council, and major industry players — is positioning the county as a hub for agri-food research and biotechnology. The Nuremore Estate redevelopment is adding world-class hotel and leisure capacity to Carrickmacross. The Clones Digi Hub project — planned for the old Bank of Ireland building in the town as part of a PeacePlus cross-border initiative — will bring new digital workspace and skills infrastructure to the west of the county. The M:TEK buildings in Monaghan Town are fully occupied with growing businesses. Enterprising Monaghan now hosts 65 tenant businesses across 11 sites, employing approximately 650 people across the county.
None of this happens without the businesses, the entrepreneurs, and the community networks that hold it all together. The inaugural Monaghan Business & Tourism Awards was, at its core, a celebration of those people. Here's to many more.
Are you a Monaghan business looking to get more visibility locally? Make sure your listing is up to date on this directory — and if the 2027 Monaghan Business & Tourism Awards are on your radar, start building your case now.
Tags: Monaghan Business Awards 2026, Monaghan business directory, Nuremore Estate Carrickmacross, Muckno Mania Castleblayney, Monaghan Mushrooms Ronnie Wilson, Marron Electrical Monaghan, The Rug Rack Company Emyvale, Monaghan Local Enterprise Office, BioConnect Monaghan, businesses in Monaghan, Monaghan tourism