Emma Cooke from Springmount Garden Centre in Co.Wexford has been voted as the first winner of the Westland Rising Stars in Ireland.

At the REI Awards on Saturday, Emma's name appeared in lights as she was invited up to collect her award. The programme in Ireland is run in association with and supported by Retail Excellence Ireland (REI) and Bord Bia.

In the UK Rising Stars programme Daniel Holden (Barton Grange), Rupert Sleight (Squires Cobham), Kathryn Crouch (Haskins West End), Hana Parker (Monkton Elm) and John Bradley (Stewarts) have all made it through to next year’s GCA Conference at Fairmount, St Andrews in Scotland. There they will deliver their presentations on stage, in front of colleagues and peers. The overall winner – the 2016 Rising Star of the Year - will then be chosen by conference delegates.