News
Kerry based Ard Ri group announces 60 new jobs
Leading Irish homeware company, the Ard Ri group, has bucked international COVID-19 trends recording one of their busiest sales periods on record. The group has announced the creation of 60 new jobs in their Irish operations spread between their base in Dublin and their headquarters on the Dingle Peninsula. The company has hired an initial 15 people over the past two weeks with a further 45 people due to be hired within 12 months.
The Ard Ri group has grown from a local craft manufacturer in Tralee to an ambitious global manufacturer and distributor of quality affordable homeware products.
Brothers Neil and Paul Fitzgibbon lead a global team of 680 employees across Ireland, the UK and Asia helping them to deliver top class customer service to a trusted network of over 1,200 retailers across both Ireland and the UK. The group has two main homeware brands in Henley Stoves and Deanta Doors, both market leading products across Ireland and the UK. They employ 550 people at their two factories in Southern China, and a further 130 spread across their distribution centres and offices in Dublin, Cambridgeshire in the UK and at their headquarters on the Dingle Peninsula.
According to company director Neil Fitzgibbon, the group's ambitions do not stop there.
“We have grown exponentially in the UK with Deanta Doors UK and Henley Stoves UK. We manage the products from our factory floor in China all the way to our network of retail partners across Ireland and the UK. We are about to launch an ambitious expansion plan into mainland Europe starting with Belgium, Holland, Germany and Poland. By 2025, we will be one of the largest providers of quality doors and stoves in the EU market. By 2030, we will be one of the biggest door and stove manufacturers and distributors in the world.”
Paul Fitzgibbon described how important it is to the company that their headquarters are based on the Dingle Peninsula, just outside Tralee.
“Our father, Noel Fitzgibbon, began Ard Ri as a fireplace manufacturer in Tralee in 1989. Together, as a family, we have overcome obstacles to build two large factories in China and a market for our homeware products across Ireland and the UK. We have a great team behind us here at the Ard Ri group and will grow the company into a global brand within 10 years, all from our base just outside Tralee.”
The company is looking for skilled and experienced people to join their team in the areas of sales, warehousing, marketing, purchasing and administration. They have asked all interested candidates to contact them directly by emailing hr@ardrimarble.com.
Eoin Cashman named Kerry’s sole Naughton Scholar
Scoil Phobail Sliabh Luacha student Eoin Cashman has been honoured as County Kerry’s sole recipient of the prestigious Naughton Scholarship for 2026.
Eoin received the award at an official ceremony held at Trinity College Business School on Saturday, October 17.
The Naughton Scholarships recognise outstanding students entering third-level education in STEM subjects, including science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Eoin was accompanied at the Dublin presentation by his parents, Marian and Pat Cashman, alongside SPSL Principal Mairéad Lucey.
The scholarship follows an exceptional Leaving Certificate performance where Eoin achieved seven H1 grades. His passion for STEM extended well beyond the classroom, having reached the SciFest 2025 National Final as overall runner-up and winning the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Award to represent Ireland in Phoenix, Arizona.
The funding will support Eoin in his current studies at University College Cork, where he is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics and Astrophysics.
As part of the award, Eoin will travel to Kylemore Abbey in March 2027 for a special gathering bringing together past and present Naughton Scholars from across Ireland.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD congratulated the scholars, encouraging them to maintain critical thinking and independent thought throughout their third-level journeys. Mrs Carmel Naughton also addressed the gathering, expressing immense pride in the class of 2026.
SPSL Principal Mairéad Lucey commended the Rathmore student on his achievement:
“Eoin’s academic achievements are a source of immense pride for the entire SPSL school community. His Naughton Scholarship follows an exceptional Leaving Certificate performance in 2026, when he achieved seven H1 grades as well as his strong commitment to STEM beyond the classroom, reaching the SciFest 2025 National Final and being awarded Overall Runner-Up and also winning the Regeneron International Science & Engineering Award, earning them the right to represent Ireland at the Regeneron ISEF world finals in Phoenix, Arizona.”
The school management and wider Rathmore community extended their congratulations to Eoin and his parents, Marian and Pat, as he continues his academic career in UCC.
KWD Recycling shortlisted for national environmental awards
Killarney-based KWD Recycling has been announced as a finalist in the 2026 Repak Resource Awards, securing a spot on the national shortlist for environmental achievement.
The local waste management company has been nominated in the Best Recovery Operator Innovation category, sponsored by DNV, for its state-of-the-art residual waste recovery system.
The Killarney facility utilizes optical sorting, screening, and mechanical processing to extract recyclable plastics and organic material from municipal waste. In its first year of operation, the technology recovered more than 10 per cent of plastic packaging from residual waste for recycling and diverted almost 50 per cent of organic material toward composting.
KWD Recycling will compete alongside Dublin operators Panda and Thorntons Recycling for the category title.
Repak CEO Zoe Kavanagh commended the Kerry firm for demonstrating environmental leadership and bringing local ambition to the national awards.
Category winners will be announced at a black-tie ceremony at the Mansion House in Dublin on Friday, October 23, where each winner will also compete for the Overall Repak Resource Award.
Local businesses have a strong track record at the national event, with Killarney town venue The Killarney Park and The Ross previously taking home the overall title in 2023.
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