Portlaoise woman Paula Flanagan has taken home the top prize in full fashion colour and cut at the Irish Hairdressing Federation championships.
The Bankz Hair and Beauty salon hairdresser came first in the competition at the championships held in Croke Park last weekend.
This is not Paula’s first national award, as she also made the prestigious national STAR team last year, which was whittled down to 4 members after hundreds of hopefuls applied.
Hard work is paying off
Owner of Bankz Barbara Aldritt said that the €20,000 worth of training Paula is receiving on the STAR team, “is obviously paying off”.
Paula was not the only Bankz hairdresser to do well on the day. The hair salon also had three entries in the junior competition – Aoife McGannon, Mary-Jane Lynch and Lisha Wheldon.
Aoife placed in the top 10 in upstyling with Lynch and Wheldon also doing well on the day.
Bankz is one of the largest five star hair salons in the Midlands, based in the centre of Portlaoise, across from the Odeon cinema.
SEE ALSO – Line-up for Old Fort Quarter Festival revealed
