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19 Feb 2026
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19 Feb 2026
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Carrick native Keira has won many awards in the hair and beauty industry
A Carrick-on-Shannon, Leitrim, native and multi-award-winning bridal hair and makeup artist has developed a brand new idea in the world of bridal hair.
Keira Smyth, who is Creative Director for one of Ireland’s largest bridal shows in the RDS Arena, is launching a brand new concept for 2026/2027 brides- Ireland’s first luxury bridal trial experience of its kind, hosted at the stunning Lough Rynn Castle.
She told us: "It’s a completely new offering for the Irish wedding industry and highlights both Leitrim and the castle as a destination for luxury bridal experiences."
Among her many accolades, Keira was recognized as the Hair Stylist of the Year at the Let’s Talk Weddings Ireland Awards in 2024 and bagged Highly Commended Bridal Stylist of the Year this month.
Speaking to the Leitrim Observer, Keira spoke of how she owned a salon in the heart of Dublin for several years before moving back to Carrick-on-Shannon during covid. "I had a salon called The Makeup Bar in Temple Bar and trained and educated hundreds of students in hair and makeup."
She also had another premises located in Cork along with her two business partners.
After closing the salon, she began to focus solely on bridal hair and makeup with the business going from strength to strength over the last number of years. "I work with a lot of international clients from the US and Canada because they are obsessed with the castles in Ireland."
Keira no longer has a premises and works with private clients online, carrying out online trials and travelling to wedding destinations such as Adare Manor and Lough Rynn.
She continued that a lot of 'Gen Z brides' want the "whole luxury, exclusive experience so I saw a whole new market there. When clients from the States and Canada are here doing their tastings etc., they have that exclusive experience of staying in a castle and bring their mums and friends."
A proud ambassador for Leitrim, Keira said that the concept is also about bringing as much business to the county as possible. "Whether they are booking me in Lough Rynn or Adare or Dublin, they can still come here and have their experience and then I go to their wedding venue. It's all about attracting and bringing business to the county as well."
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Talking a bit more about the experience that she creates for clients, she said: "They come in and have their hair and make up trail done with me and have a discounted overnight stay in Lough Rynn; these are added extras they can do to upgrade their trial. They have cocktails with their sisters or bride maids as well as afternoon tea and the whole dinner experience. It's all in the gorgeous surroundings of Lough Rynn. It's not the normal thing of coming into a salon and being there for an hour and going, this is a whole experience."
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Her first clients will be enjoying their experience this weekend. "I have five brides this weekend and ten the following weekend. Every other part of a bride's journey is an experience - you go in and get your dress and have champagne; you do your tasting and that's a whole experience so this is about making your make-up and hair a whole experience. The way you feel on your wedding day is the most important part of it and that's all down to your hair and make-up. It's about making it extra special."
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