On 15 June 2026, the Sunday Independent ran a feature on the National Enterprise Awards finalists - the entrepreneurs from every corner of Ireland competing for the title of National Enterprise of the Year. ILYAN founder Stephen O'Sullivan was among those profiled, representing Tipperary at the awards ceremony in the Round Room at the Mansion House, Dublin.
The article highlighted how world-class ideas are emerging from every county in Ireland, not just the major cities. Hospitality technology, AI-powered legal services, golf equipment, confectionery - the range of sectors reflected the breadth of entrepreneurial activity supported by Local Enterprise Offices across the country.
What the Sunday Independent said about ILYAN
The article described how ILYAN helps hotels gather guest feedback in real time and resolve issues before they become negative online reviews. Stephen was quoted directly on the scale of the opportunity:
"In the age we live in, the most valuable commodity is attention. And we had found a way to capture the attention of nearly half of all guests while they were in the hotel."
Stephen O'Sullivan, Founder - I Left You A Note, Sunday Independent, June 2026Stephen also spoke about the role of Local Enterprise Office Tipperary in making ILYAN possible:
"The support we've received from the Local Enterprise Office has been hugely significant - and I mean that genuinely, not as a polite answer. I wouldn't be standing here without it, and I mean that."
Stephen O'Sullivan, Founder - I Left You A Note, Sunday Independent, June 2026The National Enterprise Awards 2026
Now in their 26th year, the National Enterprise Awards celebrate the best businesses supported by Local Enterprise Offices across Ireland. In 2025 alone, LEO-supported companies created 7,261 new jobs - more than 82% of them outside Dublin. The awards took place on 18 June 2026 at the Mansion House, Dublin, with a total prize fund of €80,000 across categories including Best Start-Up, Innovation, Digital, and the overall National Enterprise of the Year.
Kieran Comerford, Chair of the Local Enterprise Offices, noted: "Statistics on employment and economic output alone rarely capture the ingenuity, determination, and resilience that define these businesses."
ILYAN's results since the feature
The Sunday Independent article described ILYAN as helping hotels gather guest feedback in real time. In the year since going live with clients, that capability has produced measurable outcomes. The West Cork Hotel saw their TripAdvisor score move from 84.1 to 91.08 - a near seven-point improvement - with five-star reviews more than doubling and 203 private post-stay surveys completed at a score of 95 out of 100. ILYAN went on to win the Tipperary County Enterprise Award Overall Winner 2026.