Shaws Mullingar celebrate 10 years with special Elizabeth Arden VIP event
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Caitriona Carey, Nessa Griffin, Ben Gaffney, Manager Carl Briscoe, Michelle Hogan, Caoilfhinn Ní Choiligh, Sabrina Halferty-Tinney and Louise Doyle at the VIP event on Saturday. Photos: Andrea Brady PhotographyImage 2 of 16
Michelle Hogan, Elizabeth Arden sales executive.Image 3 of 16
Guests Patricia Faulkner and Patricia McCarthy.Image 4 of 16
Michelle describing a new Elizabeth Arden product during a skin care demonstration.Image 5 of 16
Michelle Hogan telling her most loyal clients about the new facial treatment on offer at Shaws Department Store.Image 6 of 16
2026 Rose of Tralee, Caoilfhinn Ní Choiligh, telling the audience about the skin care products Michelle had given her prior to heading to Tralee.Image 7 of 16
Caoilfhinn with hand-made for the event by Val Gilhooley of Val’s Treats. They featured the letters ‘EA’ on top for Elizabeth Arden.Image 8 of 16
Claire Murtagh, Caroline Kearney, Caoilfhinn Ní Choiligh, Patricia McCarthy and Mary Cullen.Image 9 of 16
Michelle Hogan with her daughter Laurie.Image 10 of 16
Michelle Hogan beside her Elizabeth Arden stand along with Shaws Mullingar store manager, Carl Briscoe.Image 11 of 16
Maureen Gowran and Anne McDonagh.Image 12 of 16
Rose Flood and Marian Gillespie were guests at the VIP day.Image 13 of 16
Monica Keogh and Maureen GallagherImage 14 of 16
Monica Keogh, Michelle Hogan and Maureen Gallagher.Image 15 of 16
Claire Murtagh, Caroline Kearney and Mary Cullen were among the guests at the VIP event.Image 16 of 16
Marie Carroll with Michelle Hogan.Shaws Mullingar marked a milestone 10 years in the town with an exclusive in-store event in partnership with Elizabeth Arden, bringing together 40 guests to celebrate, talk beauty and enjoy a few surprises.
The event, held at the Shaws store on Austin Friars Street, on Saturday also celebrated the launch of the new Elizabeth Arden Advanced Gold Ceramide Capsules, the latest addition to the Ceramide range.
Guests were among the first locally to discover the new daily youth-restoring serum, alongside expert skincare advice and treatments from the Shaws beauty team.
Having opened in Mullingar in 2016, Shaws has become part of the local retail community and today employs more than 20 people in the town.
Michelle Hogan, Elizabeth Arden consultant at Shaws Mullingar, said the anniversary event was as much about celebrating customers as it was about the new launch. “It was such a lovely event and a really special way to celebrate both the launch of the new Advanced Gold Ceramide Capsules and 10 years of Shaws in Mullingar.
“We have wonderful customers, many of whom we’ve got to know so well over the years, so it was great to be able to welcome them in and treat them to something a little different. There was a real buzz in the store and plenty of WOW moments””
Carl Briscoe recently took up the role of store manager at Shaws Mullingar, and he said: “The welcome I’ve received since joining the Mullingar store has been fantastic, both from our customers and from the team here.
“There is a real sense of community around the store and I’m proud to now be part of that. Ten years is a brilliant milestone, but we’re looking forward too. We want to continue serving our local customers, surprising them with what they can find at Shaws and hopefully creating plenty more WOW moments over the next 10 years.”
Over the decade, the Mullingar store has continued to evolve, and customers are now able to discover a broad range across beauty, fashion, lingerie and home.
The beauty department includes leading names such as Elizabeth Arden, BPerfect and Sculpted, and the fashion department features brands including Mango, Springfield, Sfera and Punt Roma, and more. Upstairs, the home department offers everything from finishing touches to ranges for new home buyers and complete bedroom makeovers. Service remains at the heart of the Mullingar store, and customers avail of those such as free professional bra fitting and in-store skin treatments and consultations.
The VIP event brought all of that together on Saturday, celebrating a new beauty launch while also recognising a decade of colleagues, customers and community in Mullingar. “Ten years in Mullingar, and still plenty left to surprise you.” Michelle and Carl agreed.
Rose of Tralee a special guest for VIP celebration event
Shaws welcomed a special guest for the Elizabeth Arden launch on Saturday, Rose of Tralee, Caoilfhinn NÍ Choiligh, to discuss all things makeup, skincare, and life before and after winning the Rose of Tralee.
Caoilfhinn told her audience that in the weeks before the competition, “any time before my work shift or during lunch and after work, I was running around bragging. I was one of the last Roses to come in, so I was under pressure, but I really wanted to try and get my name out there.
“I was trying to get involved in local activities, so I tried to pop my head in to every little event that was happening.”
Due to that late entry, Caoilfhinn was under pressure to find sponsors, she expressed her gratitude to Michelle at Elizabeth Arden and Shaws for “kitting her out”, with the makeup and skincare she needed for the contest.
She admitted she “isn’t the biggest person when it comes to makeup”, so she appreciated how the team at Shaws took the time to help her pick the right foundation shade, the right cleanser, and for the other advice they offered.
After her win, Caoilfhinn was dealing with a hectic schedule, between media interviews, the National Ploughing Championships and other events. Things have calmed down a bit now, but she is still trying to adjust to this new change in her life.
“Everything has to go through a manager, and I do not see myself as anything more than a girl that works in a shop. I went back to work, and everybody was saying, ‘what are you doing back here?’, but it was nice going back to work and be a bit grounded, and, you know get back to something that I already know.
“I am still figuring out what this new chapter looks like and what is expected of me.”