The Gala Awards Night for this year’s Irish Accountancy Awards took place last Thursday 25th June, and as sponsors, InvoiceFair were there in numbers to celebrate the crème de la crème of the Irish Accountancy Profession. More than 450 people from all parts of the accountancy community were there to recognise and reward excellence in the Accountancy profession in Ireland.
The Awards took place at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Santry, Dublin in what was a very welcome return to face-to-face networking and socialising among Accountancy Professionals from both industry & practice.
Setting the scene. Final preparations in advance of the start of the Irish Accountancy Awards 2023 in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Santry, Co. Dublin
This year’s awards were presented by award winning Comedian, Author and TV Presenter Colm O’Regan. Best known for him multi-award winning RTE Radio 1 show, “Colm O’Regan Wants a word”; Colm is a seasoned after dinner speaker and event MC and he proved to be a big hit with the audience.
Colm O’Regan opening the Irish Accountancy Awards 2023
There are a wide range of categories at the Irish Accountancy Awards, in both the industry and practice sectors. The majority of the awards are adjudicated by a select panel of judges and all of the results are listed below. However, there are a couple of ‘special merit’ awards that are made each year and among those is a special award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Accountancy’. This year’s recipient was Professor Patricia Barker, Dip. Couns., MPhil, PhD, FCA.
So extraordinary has been Patricia’s career that in his introduction to her Award, Barry Dempsey, Chief Executive of Chartered Accountants Ireland remarked “You’re probably going to think that I’ve cut and pasted extracts from a range of resumes and joined them together”. He went on to outline some of the remarkable achievements that Patricia has made over her career.
Following Barry’s powerful introduction, Patricia addressed the audience with a deeply insightful and inspiring acceptance speech, which was received with a rapturous standing ovation.
Both speeches are very much worth watching!
Barry Dempsey presents Professor Patricia Barker with her award for Outstanding Contribution to Accountancy
As Sponsors, InvoiceFair presented 2 Awards on the night.
CEO Helen Cahill presented the award for Finance Director of the Year to Chris McCarthy of Uisce Éireann. Chris was one of 2 finalists, narrowly beating Gerard Cleary of Glenisk to the award this year.
Meanwhile CRO Peter Brady presented Azets Ireland with the Award for Tax Team of the Year, who beat off stiff competition from Charles P. Crowley & Co., RSM Ireland and Walsh O’Brien Harnett.
Outstanding Contribution to Accountancy
Professor Patricia Barker, Dip. Couns., MPhil, PhD, FCA
Practice of the Year
RSM Ireland
Global Achievement in Accountancy
Geraldine Ruane
Large Practice of the Year
RSM Ireland
Medium Practice of the Year
Whelan Dowling & Associates
Small Practice of the Year
Moran McNamara
Online Practice of the Year
FinTech Pro
Accountant of the Year
Sinead Doherty – Fenero
Advisory Team of the Year – SME Finance
Cantwell Corporate Finance
Advisory Team of the Year
FPM
Finance Director of the Year
Chris McCarthy – Uisce Éireann
Finance Team of the Year
Lidl Ireland GmbH/Lidl Northern Ireland
CSR Initiative of the Year
EY Ireland
Tax Team of the Year
Azets Ireland
Employer of the Year
FPM
Payroll Team of the Year
Paycheck Plus
Bookkeeping Team of the Year
Fitzgerald Power
Client Service Award
Saffery Champness Ireland
Excellence in Education & Training
PAT Business School
Part Qualified Accountant of the Year
Ross Phillips – EY Ireland
Best use of Technology in Accountancy & Finance
Fenero
Graduate Training Programme of the Year
Deloitte Ireland
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