Dublin to celebrate 20 years of National Women’s Enterprise Day in October

The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) across Dublin, including Local Enterprise Office Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, have announced details of one of the capital’s largest celebrations of women entrepreneurs and business leaders.

Taking place on 15 October at the Talbot Hotel, Stillorgan, the Dublin Regional National Women’s Enterprise Day event is expected to attract more than 300 attendees.

Hosted by broadcaster and entrepreneur Anna Daly, the event will feature multi-award-winning entrepreneur and skincare expert Jennifer Rock, CEO of The Skin Nerd, as keynote speaker.

Local Enterprise Office Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown is proud to host the regional event, which will celebrate innovation, ambition and achievement among women in business.

There’s also a female founders’ panel featuring Dervla Arthurs of Snugabugz (baby socks and booties that stay on), Áine Devlin of ExamRevision (teaching and learning platform for schools), Mags Morgan of Mizz Rio (independent bridal brand) and Sofie Rooney of Chimac (restaurant-quality Korean inspired sauces).

All four entrepreneurs, which have been financially supported by their Local Enterprise Office, will be sharing their business journeys, useful insights and top tips for growing a successful enterprise.

Internationally-recognised trainer, Danica Murphy of Prism, will be encouraging attendees to ‘break the ice’ by facilitating networking sessions.

There will also be representatives from various state supported bodies on hand, such as Enterprise Ireland, Revenue, Microfinance Ireland, Department of Social Protection, Credit Review Office, Southside Partnership, IADT and NovaUCD to answer questions and give out information.

An Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Cllr Barry Saul, who will be delivering the opening address at the event, said: “We have a thriving eco-system in Dublin for supporting women entrepreneurs.

“The National Women’s Enterprise Day initiative is a great example of this. As this is an extra special year, marking twenty years of events, we are honoured to welcome hundreds of women entrepreneurs and business leaders to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown on October 15^th for a day of inspirational panels and networking.”

Frank Curran, Chief Executive of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, said: ”As every business knows, success is built on collaboration and partnership.

“Local Enterprise Office Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown is proud to co-host National Women’s Enterprise Day this year, working in close partnership with our colleagues in Dublin City Council, South Dublin County Council, Fingal County Council and Enterprise Ireland.

“As we celebrate twenty years of National Women’s Enterprise Day in October, I would encourage local female founders and business leaders to take part and find out more about the business supports on offer.”

According to Lisa Brown, Head of Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, the aims of National Women’s Enterprise Day are just as important today, as they were the first year.

She said: “We’ve found that the most common barriers that stop women from starting a business tend to be fear of financial instability, lack of confidence, or caring commitments.

“By showcasing the stories of both emerging and successful female founders and highlighting the supports that are available to start and grow a business, the Local Enterprise Offices want to help more women overcome those barriers.”

*Tickets for the 2026 event have just gone on sale and cost €25, which includes a light lunch and booking fees.

They are available for a limited time only through LocalEnterprise.ie/dlr and are expected to sell-out quickly.

All around the country, 15 events are being organised for National Women’s Enterprise Day 2026 by the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) and supported by Enterprise Ireland.