Celebrating International Women’s Day 'Overcoming Adversity through Collaboration'

18 March 2014

Over 150 of Ireland’s leading business women from the private and public sectors, as well as the NGO community gathered at a lunch in Dublin Castle on the 7th March, to celebrate International Women’s Day. 

The event was MC’d by TV Broadcaster Mary Kennedy and organised by Network Ireland and the European Parliament Information Office in conjunction with Concern Worldwide and the National Women’s Council of Ireland.

Speakers included Anne O’Mahony, Head of Concern International, Emer Costello, MEP, Orla O’Connor, National Director – Women’s Council of Ireland, Francis Jacobs, Head of the European Parliament Information Office, Felicity McCarthy, former Head of Marketing for Facebook and founder of Spark Digital and Network Ireland President Mary Fehily-Hobbs.  All of the speakers shared their own individual experiences on achieving success through collaboration, in some instances despite adversity and many challenges.

International Women’s Day is one of the key national events for Network Ireland, an organisation set up thirty years ago to support women in business, the professions and the arts.  With a growing national branch network consisting of some of Ireland’s leading business women the organisation has become the voice for women in business in Ireland.President of Network Ireland, Mary Fehily-Hobbs stated ; “Our theme for today was one of collaboration and key to this is the fact that so many organisations, with a keen interest in the development of women, both in Ireland and globally came together to celebrate this special day.  The most important ingredient of the day was women from all sectors and professions coming together, networking and connecting, creating new business contacts and learning from each other.”

Network Ireland is a voluntary organisation with branches throughout Ireland and a membership of over 1,000 leading women in business.  For further information on joining Network Ireland visit www.networkireland.ie.