A Milltown-based carpentry and furniture business has secured the most prestigious prize at Ireland’s international creative expo, Showcase 2026.

Michael G O’Donoghue Carpentry was named the winner of the Overall Best Product Award during the opening day of the event at the RDS in Dublin on Sunday.
The expo, which runs until Tuesday, is a major international trade fair featuring almost 400 exhibitors and attracting over 3,350 buyers from Europe, North America, and the Middle East. It is estimated that the three-day event will generate upwards of €32 million in sales for Irish designers and manufacturers.
Michael G Woodwork, operating out of Milltown, Killarney, specialises in high-quality heirloom furniture. The workshop focuses on traditional joinery techniques and hand-sculpted designs. The business was selected for the top honour by a panel of industry experts, beating out hundreds of other brands in categories ranging from fashion and jewellery to wellbeing.
The award was presented on stage by Mary Blanchfield, CEO of the Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI), and Mary Palmer, Chair of Showcase. Speaking at the event, Mary Palmer noted that the achievements of the winners highlight the “exceptional quality, creativity, and ambition” of this year’s exhibitors.
The success for Kerry businesses continued in the Wellbeing category, where Paper + Cloud, also based in the county, took home a Best Product Category Award.

Four-time Rally of the Lakes winners Callum Devine and Noel O’Sullivan are the top seeds for next weekend’s 2026 Corrib Oil Galway International Rally.

The Derry driver will compete in a Škoda Fabia Rally2, with Noel O’Sullivan of Muckross continuing as co-driver.

While Devine is the reigning 2025 Tarmac Champion, the pairing are still seeking their first outright win on the Galway event.

The rally was officially launched on Friday last, January 16, at the Connacht Hotel, Galway, which is one of the associate sponsors for the 2026 event.

At the launch, Clerk of the Course Mark Parsons confirmed that over 100 entries have been received to date.

Other Kerry representation on the entry list includes Kevin O’Donoghue who will compete in a BMW M3, Mossie Costello is entered in a Ford Fiesta Rally4, and John Corrigan will contest the event in a Subaru Impreza.