Picture: Minister Marian Harkin TD, presents ( Insurance) Apprentice of the Year Award to Saoirse Holme. Photograph by Declan Roughan / Press Eye
Saoirse Holmes apprentice award success has seen the Dundalk native win the Insurance industry prize at the National Apprentice of the Year Awards 2026
The 23-year-old Louth woman is completing an Insurance Practitioner apprenticeship with Acorn Financial Services in Dundalk.
She was one of 17 award winners selected from a record 508 nominees nationwide.
The award was presented at a ceremony in the RDS in Dublin, attended by more than 500 guests.
Recognition for leadership and teamwork
The Insurance industry award recognises Saoirse’s leadership, creativity, teamwork and problem-solving skills.
The National Apprentice of the Year Awards celebrate the contribution of more than 31,000 apprentices working across industries and workplaces throughout Ireland.
Saoirse said she was delighted to receive the recognition.
I am delighted to receive this award, which is so unexpected, and thrilled to receive such a wonderful recognition so early into my apprenticeship journey,” she said.
I am thoroughly enjoying earning and learning with the Insurance Practitioner apprenticeship at Acorn Financial Services, as part of a great team who are helping me to build strong industry knowledge, develop the practical experience and confidence needed to succeed in the industry, and I would like to thank all of my amazing colleagues at Acorn Financial for the support.
This recognition shows that apprentices can make a valuable contribution while they are still learning and developing their careers, and I am honoured to receive this award as I progress along my apprenticeship journey and career.
17 awards presented
Irish Apprentice Talent Shines Bright/ Picture at the Irish Apprentice of the Year Award 2026 with Minister Marian Harkin
Minister of State for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Marian Harkin TD presented 17 awards at the event.
The overall Apprentice of the Year award went to Sapna Sian, a Manufacturing Technology apprentice with Johnson & Johnson Vision Care in Limerick.
Minister Harkin congratulated Saoirse and the other nominees.
Apprentices are at the heart of Ireland’s skilled workforce. I wish to congratulate Saoirse Holmes on this incredible achievement, along with all 508 nominees,” she said.
Their talent, commitment and skills are helping to shape Ireland’s future workforce.”
Deirdre McDonnell, CEO of SOLAS, the Further Education and Training Authority of Ireland, also congratulated the winners.
Apprenticeships provide a valuable pathway to rewarding careers and help employers develop the skills they need, she said.
Congratulations to Saoirse Holmes, all 17 award winners and every nominee on this well-deserved recognition.
Hazel Johnston, the 2023 National Apprentice of the Year and a graduate of the Manufacturing Engineering apprenticeship, was also presented with a 2026 Facts, Faces, Futures Outstanding Ambassador Award in recognition of her work raising awareness of apprenticeship as a career pathway for women.
The National Apprentice of the Year Awards are overseen by SOLAS and celebrate apprentices from across the apprenticeship system in Ireland.
Nominees are judged on skills and qualities including leadership, teamwork, creativity and problem-solving.
Further information is available at www.apprenticeship.ie.
