The Donegal Women in Business Network was founded 25 years ago, stemming from a Donegal County Enterprise Board initiative to support female entrepreneurship. The network’s inaugural meeting at Kees Hotel in 1999 drew a large crowd, underscoring the significant enthusiasm and readiness of women eager to start their business journeys. Led by a dedicated group of women, the network quickly gained momentum.
Over the past 25 years, we have grown into a dynamic community that supports women at every stage of their business development. Our network offers opportunities for networking, skill-building, and sharing knowledge through events like seminars, workshops, and social gatherings, often free of charge. Open to every woman in business, our mission is to foster connection, learning, and growth, empowering women to succeed in all aspects of their professional lives.
Explore the diverse range of benefits that come with membership, designed to enhance your business, expand your network, and support your professional growth.
Participate in members-only webinars and workshops covering a range of topics relevant to business growth and personal development.
Receive exclusive industry insights that can help inform your business strategies and decision-making.
Network and exchange business contacts with other members.
As a member you can host social or business events/workshops within our network.
Our members-only Facebook Group is a private space for connecting, sharing, asking questions, getting advice, and making recommendations.
Members can contribute to our regular ‘Share Your News’ posts, which reach a broad audience across our combined social media platforms.
Share your offers and news in our monthly newsletter distributed to all members.
Members typically offer each other discounts on their products or services.
Write a blog post for our website about your business, and we'll also promote it on our social media channels.
Discover collaboration, hiring, or partnership opportunities with other members of the network.
Gain access to mentoring and advice from fellow network members.
New members can list their business on our Directory page increasing your online presence and boosting SEO.
Explore the diverse range of benefits that come with membership, designed to enhance your business, expand your network, and support your professional growth.
Our committee is made up of dedicated network members who generously volunteer their time and share their experience. As a collective, we are committed to upholding the traditions and values of the entrepreneurial women who came before us while paving the way for the next generation of women in business.
Join our network of over 270 women to strengthen your career through valuable networking opportunities, increased visibility, mentoring, and access to exclusive events. Together, we achieve more.
Check out our upcoming events here:
Vice- president of the Donegal Women in Business Network, Sally Murphy is a communications consultant and coach, passionate about helping leaders ignite their people, organisations and culture with powerful stories, well told.
Based in Donegal, she is fortunate to work with great people across the globe in organisations such as Google, Thermo Fisher Scientific and Janssen Sciences. In 2017 she won the Northern Ireland Creative Industry Skills Award and in 2022 she did her first TEDxwomen talk. Her first book on leadership storytelling will be published in 2024. On the brink of being an empty nester, she recently bought her first road bike because brave new adventures are always around the corner.
Lyndsey Reynolds
Lyndsey Reynolds is a Mediator, Conflict Management Coach, Project manager and Facilitator. She works with businesses, separating couples, families and individuals, helping them put fresh eyes on the issues they are facing and find practical and positive ways forward.
Originally from Dublin, she relocated to Donegal in 2018 and has been building her business here ever since. Prior to this, Lyndsey worked at senior management level in a number of industries in both the private and not-for-profit sectors, including property, culture, tourism and hospitality. When taking the leap to self employed status, she realised regardless of industry, all roles had common themes; she was always hired in to bring new perspectives, find solutions and action ways to move things forward all while balancing the differing needs of stakeholders and building consensus. Out of this experience, a business was born.
Alongside the 20 + years of professional experience she brings, she is a member of the International Mediation Institute, a qualified Project Manager, a certified Conflict Management Coach and a Common Purpose Leadership graduate.
When she’s not helping others to solve their problems, she’s tending to her disobedient chickens Sharon and Ruth and regularly flinging herself into the freezing Atlantic in the name of sanity.
Mary Crawford is Managing Director of The Right Angle, a PR agency that delivers all-island marketing solutions for clients across a range of sectors. Mary has 25 years’ experience in marketing and PR in Dublin and the northwest, starting her career in one of Ireland’s oldest and most established PR companies, Murray Consultants, cutting her teeth on campaigns for leading brands including Ryanair, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Independent News and Media. Mary also spent ten years in Elevate PR, working with a broad range of clients, from PlayStation to Nokia, Hennessy, and TK Maxx. With The Right Angle, Mary is committed to showing SME’s, sole traders, and start-ups that PR is not just for large established companies, but that they too can benefit from a strategic, considered and well executed PR strategy. See www.therightangle.ie
Introducing Donegal Women in Business Network committee member Eimear Shiels.
With over six years of experience at Kinore Finance and Business Services, Eimear currently serves as Client Services Manager, where she oversees key areas including Revenue Management, Client Experience, and Client Services. Her role involves leading cross-functional teams, enhancing client engagement strategies, and ensuring the delivery of efficient, high-quality services that align with clients’ evolving needs.
Before transitioning into the finance and business services sector, Eimear built a strong foundation in retail management, where she developed her passion for customer service, operational excellence, and team development.
Eimear is passionate about creating positive client experiences and fostering professional connections, and she looks forward to contributing further to the success of women in business throughout Donegal.
Introducing Donegal Women in Business Network committee member Chantelle Grant.
Chantelle Grant is the General Manager of Century Complex, the largest entertainment destination in the Northwest of Ireland. With 17 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Chantelle began her journey with Century in 2013, starting in customer service and steadily rising through the ranks to lead a team of 118 staff through a period of significant growth and change.
A lifelong sports enthusiast, Chantelle originally pursued a career in coaching, earning a degree in Sports Development and Coaching from ATU. Her passion for people development led her to further her education with a Certificate in Managing and Mentoring People, an Honours Business Degree, and most recently, a Master of Business Studies in Innovation and Leadership. These experiences helped her realize that her love for coaching could translate into the professional world—guiding and empowering teams in the workplace just as she would on the field.
Chantelle is deeply passionate about leadership and believes it’s something that can be practiced at every level—regardless of job title. She strives to create an environment where people feel inspired to grow, take initiative, and become the leaders they aspire to be.
Creative Director
Imagine Lab Design
Helping businesses elevate their brand
Lisa Breslin, runs a design studio Imagine Lab, in County Donegal. Imagine Lab specializes in branding strategies, graphic design and motion design. Her services have been specifically tailored to meet the needs of small and medium businesses to grow through unique and powerful graphic content.
Their holistic approach to branding brings a consistency to their design which is key to building valuable brands that engage audiences and potential customers. This has been built through Lisa’s 20 years of experience in the creative industry.
At Imagine Lab, Lisa works with innovative businesses across Ireland and Northern Ireland, England, Scotland, Switzerland and America. The projects range from branding for start-ups, helping established SaaS businesses with animated and video content, creating design content for online marketing campaigns and building front end web designs.
It’s all about the creative partnership at Imagine Lab – each client receives a bespoke experience based on their needs and what helps immensely is they offer multidisciplinary design services all in one place.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-breslin-44069024/
Instagram – @imaginelab_design
X – @Imagine_lab_
YT – @imaginelabdesign4742
hello@imaginelabdesign.com / www.imaginelabdesign.com
Alice Lynch is the long-standing owner and venue manager of Maggies Tavern, proudly known as “the best party venue in the North West.” Located in Carrickmore, St. Johnston, Co. Donegal, Maggies has thrived under Alice’s leadership for over 30 years, earning a reputation for hospitality, great food, and unforgettable celebrations.
A qualified caterer and expert events coordinator, Alice has built Maggies into a welcoming space for all occasions – from birthdays and weddings to live music nights and community fundraisers. Her passion and attention to detail ensure that every event is handled with care and professionalism.
Alice is also an award-winning organiser of charity events, often working closely with the local community to support meaningful causes. She actively represents her industry as a dedicated member of the Donegal branch of the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland (VFI).
Driven, experienced, and deeply rooted in her community, Alice Lynch continues to make Maggies Tavern a place “where everyone feels at home.”
Email: hello@donegalwomeninbusiness.com
Telephone: 087 3560999
Introducing Donegal Women in Business Network committee member Jolene McDermott.
Marketing Strategist for Tourism & Hospitality Businesses
I am a tourism marketing specialist with over 20 years of experience helping accommodation providers and visitor experiences across Ireland grow their direct bookings, strengthen their online presence, and reduce reliance on third-party platforms like OTAs.
I work with boutique hotels, glamping sites, guesthouses, Airbnbs, museums, and tourism activity providers who are passionate about what they do but don’t have the time or expertise to manage marketing on their own. Whether it’s launching a bookable website, creating a content plan, building social media visibility, or setting up email campaigns that actually convert — I help business owners make marketing feel doable, strategic, and effective.
My services include monthly marketing management, 1:1 strategy sessions, training workshops, and digital marketing courses. I also offer professional video content creation and paid ad campaigns for businesses looking to scale up.
You can work with me in three ways:
If you’re a busy accommodation provider or tourism entrepreneur ready to get more guests and more clarity around your services, get in touch.
