Twenty-four businesses and individuals from a range of sectors have been shortlisted for the 2005 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year programme. The winner will be announced in September.
The finalists represent the pharmaceutical, hospitality, tourism, food and drink, manufacturing and agribusiness sectors and six are from Northern Ireland.
Announcing the shortlist, Enda Kelly, Ernst & Young's partner in charge of the programme, said Ireland continued to receive more entries per head of population than any of the 40 other countries and regions that participate in the programme.
The Irish programme is in its eighth year. The Irish Times and RTÉ are partners with Ernst & Young in the programme.
Mr Kelly uses the Harvard University definition of entrepreneurship as "the pursuit of opportunity beyond the resources you currently control".
He believes the finalists get lasting benefits such as the advice and support of other winners.including businessman Denis O'Brien, Eddie Jordan, Moya Doherty and John McColgan, Aer Aran chief executive, Pádraig Ó Ceidigh, the 2002 winner
2003 winner Liam Shanahan of Shanahan Engineering and last year's winner, Mr Peter FitzGerald of Randox Laboratories who recently represented Ireland at the World Entrepreneur of the Year event in Monte Carlo are also available for advice and support, Mr Kelly said.
Mr O'Brien is chairman of the judging panel.
This year's finalists will attend the programme's first event, the executive retreat, held in Boston in July.
The retreat is a weekend of intensive tutorials from leading business thinkers on insights into entrepreneurship and building a global business.
The finalists for the 2005 programme, who will be profiled in The Irish Times over the coming weeks, are as follows:
International Category: Gerard Brandon, Alltracel Pharmaceuticals plc; Kevin Neville, Data Display Co Ltd; Tony McEnroe, Farran Technology Ltd; Hubert Watson, Finlay BME; John Concannon, JFC Manufacturing Co Ltd; Gerard Keenan, Keenan Systems; Sarah Newman and Andrew Collins, Needahotel. com; Aidan Heavey, Tullow Oil plc.
Industry Category: Frankie Whelehan, Choice Hotels Ireland; Michael Carey, Jacob Fruitfield Food group; Seán Coyle, Keystone group; Paddy Callaghan, Nature's Best Ltd; William Doyle, Newbridge Silverware; Owen O'Callaghan, O'Callaghan Properties Ltd; Oliver Hughes & Liam LaHart, the Porterhouse Brewing Company; William Wright, Wrightbus Ltd.
Emerging Category: Gregory J Turley, ArgusCarHire.com; Andrew Walsh & Craig Benton, Celtic Composting Systems Ltd; Donal Byrne, Corvil Networks; Brian Conlon, First Derivatives plc; Brian Baird, Meridio; Ann-Marie Slavin, OPT2VOTE; Colm Lyon, Realex Payments; Gerry Kennelly, Stockbyte
