Nomadic Wins €150,000 Gold Award For North-South Business Cooperation

Belfast watch brand takes top prize ahead of Dána 141 launch and Dublin boutique opening

We are delighted to have won the €150,000 Gold Award at the 2026 Stelios North-South Business Cooperation Awards. Based in Belfast, we design and hand-assemble watches inspired by the city’s shipbuilding heritage. Each model carries an Irish name.

Established by easyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the awards recognise entrepreneurs building commercial links between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The €500,000 programme is run by the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation in partnership with Co-operation Ireland.

The win comes as we prepare to open our first dedicated Dublin boutique at 6 Castle Market Street in November, in partnership with Weir & Sons. It will become the our second permanent retail home in Ireland, following our Belfast flagship.

On the 30th October, we will launch Dána 141, our first dress watch. The design brings the industrial character of the brand’s tool watches into a more formal silhouette.

Peter McAuley, our founder and managing director, said: “We set out to build an Irish watch brand that could stand alongside established international names. This award is a vote of confidence in that ambition and in the team doing the work every day in Belfast.

“We’re grateful to Sir Stelios and the Foundation for their support as we continue to grow across Ireland and internationally.” 

Founded by McAuley in 2021, we have clients in more than 50 countries. We have also become the United Rugby Championship’s first-ever Official Timing Partner this year.

Sir Stelios and Sam Shephard, founder of last year’s Gold Award winner Juice Jar, presented the prize to McAuley at Castle Leslie Estate in County Monaghan on 28 October.