25th anniversary celebrations for Meath Enterprise

Special occasion held in the former Meath Exhibition Centre paid tribute to all those who had established and worked in the many industries in the county as book is launched

The 25th anniversary of Meath Enterprise was celebrated in style last Thursday when tributes were made to the organisation’s role in supporting, developing and promoting entrepreneurship across the county.

The occasion was also marked by the publication of ‘Of Wood and Wool’, a book written by journalist Ken Davis recording the history of the furniture and carpet making industries over many decades.

The cathaoirleach of Meath County Council, Cllr Tommy Reilly, the CEO of Meath Enterprise Gary O’Meara, the chairman of the enterprise baord, Cllr Padraig Fitzsimons, and Ken Davis addressed a large gathering assembled at the centre on the Trim Road. Deputy Damien English was also present.

Paying tribute to all those who had established and worked in the many enterprises in the county, Cllr Reilly said that both industries had been great for Navan town, giving employment to many hundreds of people including himself at Navan carpets in the 1960s and early 1970s. It was a shame that the company was let go, he said.

He paid tribute to its founder Captain Newsom, describing it as “a fantastic achievement”. The cathaoirleach also praised the work of Joe Horan, a former Meath County Council manager who set up facilities for people with physical and mental disabilities at the Enterprise Centre, as a millennium project.

Retired Chief Executive Jackie Maguire, the current Chief Executive Fiona Lawless and Director of Services Des Foley were also thanked by the councillor for continuingthis work.

Cllr Fitzsimons described the book ‘Of Wood and Wool’ as a “fitting testament to the town’s industries”. It depicted how the furniture industry had given life to the town, followed by the establishment of Navan Carpets, the town’s biggest employer at the time. These industries were important for the town but also set its place on the national stage.

The Meath Enterprise Centre had once been the Exhibition Centre, acting as a showcase for the furniture industry. It was now continuing the task of creating jobs for people, helping small and medium-sized businesses.

Former Taoiseach Charles Haughey had launched it in 1981 and Minister Noel Dempsey had relaunched it as the Enterprise Centre in 1998. Cllr Fitzsimons liked in particular a map of old Navan showing the location of all the industries which gave such life to the town.

He recalled the words of the late George Foster, furniture maker, who had once said that “everyone in Navan had started in a small shed”. That’s how every small business was at the time, the councillor said.