Kildare businesswoman, Karolynn Mac Hale nominated for Mum of the Year Award
Mother to three boys, Adam (15) and twins Zach and Lewis (11), Mac Hale has built a successful retail enterprise in Naas
Karolynn Mac Hale, originally from Rathcoole and now living in Naas has been nominated for the 2026 Beko and Woman’s Way Mum of the Year Award.
Mother to three boys, Adam (15) and twins Zach and Lewis (11), Mac Hale has built a successful retail enterprise in Naas and recently celebrated 20 years of the business, Aria Boutique.
In a time when a lot of people are moving online for retail purchases, Mac Hale puts her success down to an emphasis on community spirit built over the years. The popular business owner maintains that despite all the success in the world of fashion that being a mum is her biggest achievement.
The Beko Woman’s Way Mum of the Year Awards are back in 2026 for an incredible 23rd year. Beko has proudly supported the awards for more than a decade and are now encouraging nominations, which are officially open. The awards celebrate Ireland’s amazing mothers and shine a light on women who quietly and consistently make life better, for their families, society and everyone around them.
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Open to mums throughout Ireland, the accolade gives spouses, children, relatives, friends and community groups the opportunity to recognise and reward the fantastic work mums do for their families and friends. A landmark event in the social calendar, the awards celebrate the strength, dedication and community contribution of mothers in Ireland.
Style
Quality, classic style, and timelessness were the core values of Aria when Karolynn MacHale first embarked in the fashion business in March 2005. Twenty years later, those fundamental principles still hold true.
“Before I opened Aria, I worked in the drinks industry, and spent six years living and traveling throughout Scandinavia. I was based in Helsinki, and I always had a love for fashion from a young age,” MacHale recently told Kildare Life magazine.
“I loved so many beautiful brands from Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway that were simply not available in Ireland, and that encouraged me to come home and create a boutique focused on bringing those exclusive labels to Irish customers. This has evolved over the years, as two years after I opened my doors, recession hit, and I had to quickly diversify into offering occasionwear, as customers were only really spending in boutiques when they had somewhere special to go.
“It was about adapting to how people were shopping and having a strong offering. It has come full circle again, where we are edging back to our roots, but never forgetting our special occasion customers.”
Finalists will be treated to a fabulous afternoon at a special awards ceremony later in the year where the prestigious title as Beko & Woman’s Way Mum of the Year Award will be awarded. Celebrity Mum of the Year and a Special Recognition Award will also be honoured at the event. Each finalist will receive a top-of-the-range CaffeExperto bean-to-cup coffee machine while the winner will receive a €2,500 voucher to spend on Beko appliances.