Rossano

Address
High Street, Sligo.

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Rossano’s in Sligo was established four years ago and was one of the first to incorporate a beauty salon area.
Owner Rossa Danaghan said: “Within a few weeks of opening, we had received five stars from the Good Salon Guide – we are continually assessed and were recently awarded five stars again. The salon is a one-stop shop.The client can come in for a head-to-toe makeover without the hassle of leaving the shop.”
At the salon, they do make up, spray tans and waxing and cater for a lot of weddings.
“The staff constantly put a lot of work into it. We have a strong team,” said Rossa. The salon runs training courses where people such as Shay Dempsey from the Zoo salon in Dublin train the Rossano’s staff.
“Some of us have done courses with Charles Worthington to keep us on top of the trends,” added Rossa. “It’s great for motivation. We have a wide range of age groups. The salon has that atmosphere. We combine current trends with classic styles. We also incorporate high fashion into every day.”
There are ten hairdressers and one beauty therapist at the Sligo salon and eight hairdressers at the Ballyshannon salon.
Of the salon’s nomination Rossa said: “It’s great – it’s a good achievement. What we’re doing, we’re doing right. Client care means a lot to us and we work constantly. Our client is our business.”
“We have a huge catchment area for clientele. People come from Enniskillen, Boyle, Leitrim, Donegal,” he said.

Salon 2

Owner
Anthony Kilcoyne

Address
Adelaide Street, Sligo.

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Salon 2 is based on Adelaide St in Sligo Town. The salon was founded by hairdresser Anthony Kilcoyne. Anthony first trained as a hairdresser in 1987.
At first it was a small operation, with just Anthony and one girl who worked there part-time. Twelve years later, the business has grown, with around 17 staff today.
Anthony emphasised the importance of treating customers well at Salon 2. “I like to treat people well and give them good service. I think service is important,” said Anthony.
When it comes to hair styling, Anthony said that you have to keep up-to-date with current trends. “You have to follow trends that are in,” he said.
“I take part in competitions and courses. I go to London every year to see what’s happening. I take part in courses for a week that are run by Vidal Sassoon – I’ve been taking part in them for the last four years. Vidal Sassoon is the top of the field.”
Anthony cites the recent example of ‘Posh Spice’ Victoria Beckham, whose ‘posh bob’ or Pob sparked a major trend. “Everyone wants one now,” he said.
“I’d like to thank my clients for taking the time out to nominate us. We’ll continue to look after them to the best we can.”

Flair Hair Salon

Owner
Annette Davey

Address
Collooney, Co. Sligo.

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For Annette Davey, owner of Flair Hair Design, her business is close-knit and family orientated. Her own mother works at the salon for two days a week, and Annette is also joined by fellow stylist Jackie Harkin from Monday to Friday.
“Flair opened two years ago, in May 2005,” said Annette. “It has a nice and friendly atmosphere. It’s a nice bright salon.”
Annette and Jackie would typically have around ten customers a day each, but this number increases at the weekend. The salon is open until 8pm on Thursdays and Fridays, and until 5pm on Saturdays. They also cater for weddings at Flair and will open early for wedding parties. Annette studies Beauty Therapy and Hair Design at the Cavan College in 1999. She then moved on to work in a number of salons in Sligo. Originally from Collooney, Annette chose her home location to set up Flair Hair Design.
Customers like the Collooney location because it has great parking and it is a scenic area, said Annette. “It’s great to be out in the countryside. It’s not rush, rush, rush. It’s relaxed. Customers can come in for their consultation, have a cup of tea, relax, take time out to relax and chat. It’s a very friendly atmosphere – people feel at home here.”

Oasis Hair Design

Owners
Annette Hayden and Valerie Murphy

Address
Waterlane, Sligo.

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OASIS Hair Design, which is based at Waterlane, was set up by Annette Hayden and Valerie Murphy five years ago.
Annette believes it is the little things, the personal touches that mark her salon out for her clients. Tea, coffee, water and biscuits are all offered to customers. “We have nice music in the background. I think people should feel relaxed,” said Annette. “Smaller is nicer, I would never want to get any bigger. A lot of the customers have got to know each other.”
Annette takes age, looks and dress into consideration when she is styling hair. “It’s more important to go with what suits people. You have to listen and not just do what you want. I always look at people’s dry hair before I do it and compare it afterwards,” she said.
There are four people working full-time at the salon, and two people working part-time. “We are like a little family,” she said.
Annette said she was delighted to be nominated for a Golden Scissors Award. “I was shocked. It was so thoughtful for anyone to sit down and write a letter. It’s nice and very much appreciated.”

Lydia Murray Hair and Beauty

Owner
Lydia Murray

Address
Quayside Shopping Centre, Sligo.

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LYDIA Murray's Hair and Beauty Salon will celebrate its second birthday on August 23, 2007. It opened in the Quayside Shopping Centre on the day the centre opened.
The salon has nine staff, including eight women and one man. Owner Lydia Murray manages the salon. She trained in Fas and also worked in Peter Mark and Naturelles before setting up her own salon. In the future Lydia hopes to open another salon in town.
Karrie-Anne McLoughlin, who works in the salon said: “We were delighted to be nominated for a Golden Scissors Award. Lydia was over the moon for days about it. We were surprised and delighted. It is great that clients nominated us.”
Staff at the salon do ongoing training courses in Letterkenny with Jules. Representatives of Matrix products also visit the salon to do talks. “The new things you learn on the courses about cutting and colouring are amazing. There is always something new to show eachother afterwards,” said Karrie-Anne.
The salon offers a range of beauty treatments as well as a barbering service. Staff can also opt to do training courses to become a beauty therapist.

Finuala's Hair Design

Owner
Finuala McMunn

Address
Quay Street, Sligo.

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Finuala’s Hair Design started small, with only two staff members working there. Finuala now has two full-time staff and one part-time employee.
Finuala had a lot of loyal customers who followed her from the last salon she worked in. “We try to be friendly and down to earth. We are not looking at what you are wearing. This is somewhere you can relax. We are normal here. You can talk if you want or you can bury your head in a book,” she said.
Finuala loves meeting new people all the time. She said she is constantly talking to people. “It’s nice when someone is happy, when they come in for a cut and then go out happy.”
Finuala said business is booming for the many salons in Sligo. “You don’t see anyone closing down here. People come in here at 5pm on a Saturday saying they can’t get a hairdresser,” she said.
Her philosophy is to provide a good service for people and keep everyone happy.