Mayo woman highly commended at Network Ireland Businesswoman of the Year Awards

NETWORK Ireland Mayo was represented by six finalists at the Network Ireland National Conference and Businesswoman of the Year Awards 2026 in Galway on Friday, with Lorraine Hall of The Cleaning Corporation in Castlebar Highly Commended in the Established Businesswoman category.

Across 17 branches and over 1,500 women, this year’s awards drew 600 entries nationwide and 101 finalists. Around 320 people attended the conference and more than 420 joined the awards evening. Throughout the day’s events, speakers shared authentic life stories filled with thoughtfulness and kindness.

Lorraine Hall has been a member of Network Ireland Mayo for over 30 years. She entered the awards for the first time in 2025 and won the Networker of the Year category, as well as being Highly Commended.

This year she entered the Established Businesswoman category for the first time and was recognised at national level for her business and her work.

Said Lorraine: “I have been part of Network Ireland Mayo for over 30 years and it has always been the place where women in business lift each other up. To be recognised at national level for the work we do in The Cleaning Corporation is a real honour and I share it with every member of our branch.”

The Network Ireland Mayo finalists were:

Lorraine Hall, The Cleaning Corporation, Castlebar - Established Businesswoman.

Maureen McAndrew, Make Your Wardrobe Work, Belmullet - Creative Professional.

Olaide Anjorin, FaceSkincare, Castlebar - Emerging New Businesswoman.

Ellen Keegan, Gintax Ltd., Westport - Early Career Employee.

Sandra Ganley, Sandra Ganley Dance, Bohola - Solo Businesswoman.

Carmel Hughes, Sage Wellbeing, Kiltimagh - Networker of the Year.

Behind every finalist was a strong team. Branch awards coordinator Cora Mulroy supported applicants and finalists throughout the process and reintroduced finalist interviews for the first time in 10 years, to build confidence. Mentoring from LEO Mayo and Fran Best prepared the Mayo finalists even further ahead of their national interviews at AIB in Dublin.

“The finalist interviews gave our women the chance to practice telling their story out loud. When they walked into their national interviews, they knew their business and they believed in themselves. That is what I am proudest of,” said Cora Mulroy, awards coordinator.

Network Ireland Mayo branch president Orla Bakeberg said every finalist and every applicant is a winner.

“Every one of our women is a winner, just by stepping out to fill in the application and then submitting it. They showed up and they moved up, by believing in their best selves,” she said. “As branch president I am incredibly proud to support every member and every woman in business, who turns up each day with her vision and puts one foot in front of the other.”

Orla also delivered her first Lightning Talk at the conference titled Be Your Change | The Power of the Possible. She closed with the meaning of the butterfly and the message that it only takes a small group of like-minded people to change the world.

Network Ireland Mayo thanks everyone who supports the branch, including Network Ireland national partner AIB and LEO Mayo, as well as Fran Best and the members who cheered on the finalists every step of the way.

Network Ireland is a national network supporting women in business built on three core values of collaborating and leading and supporting. Women in business in Mayo are warmly invited to join the branch. For membership enquiries, get in touch with Orla Bakeberg, branch president, at president@networkmayo.com or on (087) 9637439.