Celtic Coat Dog Grooming Awards Recap

On 22 November, the grooming community gathered in Belfast for the Celtic Coat Dog Grooming Awards, hosted by long-standing IPDGA members Michael Shiels and Tanya Salas. From start to finish, the day was filled with positivity, connection, and recognition for groomers right across the country.

This wasn’t a grooming competition in the usual sense, in fact, no dogs were groomed on the day, apart from four excellent demo dogs presented by Isabella Doblas Jones, Lyndsey Murphy, James Holberry, and Tracey Douglas. Each demo offered practical learning, helpful techniques, and plenty of easy, relaxed conversation that everyone could relate to.

We were also treated to a wonderfully engaging seminar from Jackie Polson, who delivered a detailed and genuinely useful talk on the skin and coat of the wide range of dogs we see day in and day out in the typical salon. From coat function to condition, challenges to solutions, Jackie covered it all in a way that was accessible, informative, and deeply relevant to everyday grooming work.

The awards themselves recognised an incredible range of categories from technical skills to creative grooming, compassionate handling, customer care, business excellence, and community contribution. With several winners selected through public vote, it was heartwarming to see clients and supporters uplifting the groomers who make a difference in their dogs’ lives.

The event highlighted exactly what makes this industry so special: a community full of groomers with different strengths, approaches, and styles yet united by a shared passion for dogs, learning, professionalism, and supporting one another. That diversity is what keeps our industry vibrant and ever progressing.

When evening arrived, the celebrations truly began. The awards ceremony brought fantastic food, drink, music, dancing, and friends coming together long into the early morning. Not one person arrived covered in dog hair, a rare sight for any groomer! and it was brilliant to see everyone get the chance to dress up, unwind, and enjoy the night. The photos captured only a fraction of the fun, and perhaps that’s for the best!

As an association for Irish dog groomers, we are genuinely thrilled and incredibly lucky  to call the people who run and participate in events like this our members. You continue to fly the flag for what the IPDGA stands for: inclusivity, support, continuous growth, professionalism, kindness, and genuine friendship within the grooming community.

Events like the Celtic Coat Awards reflect exactly the direction we want our industry to continue moving,  uplifting one another, celebrating achievements, creating learning opportunities, and keeping our community strong.

A huge thank you again to Michael, Tanya, everyone involved in organizing the day and every groomer who attended.
We couldn’t be prouder!!