Kerryman Business Awards postponed... but watch this space

IT comes with huge disappointment that I announce the postponement of the The Kerryman Business Awards for 2020 due to the ongoing concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

Needless to say, this virus has altered the way we live our lives on many levels, not least in the way we do business. It’s been an incredibly challenging year for businesses across the county as they deal with the fallout from the virus: loss of trade, loss of jobs and the loss of customers have all been difficult to deal with.

The Kerryman Business Awards is an occasion that has become part and parcel of the calendar year in terms of being an occasion to look forward to and celebrate business in this great county of ours. However, personal safety is paramount, and it just wouldn’t be right to host this year’s event for personal safety concerns. This is also in solidarity with the great sacrifices made by other events that have had to cancel.

But some measure of life must go on, and, instead of hosting The Kerryman Businesses Awards in 2020, The Kerryman will instead look to identify the businesses in Kerry that have shown exceptional resilience, innovation and ingenuity during this virus. Businesses have had to revamp and revive the way they trade in ways that have been unprecedented in such a short time-frame. This is why I will be announcing details in the coming weeks of our intention to honour these businesses.

Lastly, the purpose of this supplement is to recognise the businesses who have worked hard over the past number of months to get through this pandemic. Many of these businesses are loyal customers of ours, and we feel it is necessary and only right to let readers know that they are still open and looking to resume trading again as soon as possible. I have no doubt that customers in Kerry will recognise this and support local business in the coming weeks and months.

For now, the message is to stay safe and try to deal with the virus as best we can as we look to get everyday life back to normal again.

Siobhán Murphy, General Manager of The Kerryman

Aidan Sheehy and Sean Hennessy of Corrib Oil are the current overall winners of The Kerryman Business Awards, held last November. Also pictured were Kerryman Editor Kevin Hughes: Mayor of Kerry Niall Kelleher: Kerryman General Manager Siobhan Murphy and guest speaker Terry Prone.