By Business & Finance 
Sir John Major accepting his award for Outstanding Contribution to Ireland from Ian Hyland, Business & Finance.
Business & Finance hosted its 40th Business & Finance Irish Business Awards, in association with KPMG at The Convention Centre Dublin last night with special honourees including Sir John Major and the late, former Taoiseach, Albert Reynolds.
Major and Reynolds were honoured at the event with their Outstanding Contribution to Ireland Award for their work on the peace process in Northern Ireland. Accepting the award on behalf of Reynolds and himself, Sir John Major said: “It is not easy to say how moved I am to receive this award and I know that Albert would be, too. The fact that he is not beside me now is the only blot on this wonderful evening. But – in a very real sense – Albert isn’t absent. His spirit lives on. And how thrilled he would be that Kathleen – his wife and his inspiration – is here, together with so many members of their family. To them I say, “You have every right to be proud of Albert – he is, and will forever remain, a genuine hero of Irish history.”
Other award recipients on the night included the founder of Glen Dimplex, Martin Naughton, who received an Outstanding Achievement in Business Award; and golfing legend, Paul McGinley, who was honoured for his Outstanding Contribution to Brand Ireland.
The 2014 Company of the Year Award was scooped by Primark, while Anne Heraty of CPL Resources picked up the award for Business Person of the Year. This year’s Enterprise of the Year Award, in association with AIB was awarded to Voya.
A special message from An Taoiseach Enda Kenny
