Athlone's Regina Bushell says 2025 was a 'year of resilience'

We contacted a number of people from in and around the Athlone area to ask them about their highlight of 2025 and their hopes for the new year.

Athlone native Regina Bushell is the President of the Athlone Chamber of Commerce and the Managing Director at Grovelands Childcare.

* My highlight of 2025 was...

The past year has been one of the busiest and most meaningful of my life, both professionally and personally. It has brought challenge, momentum and, above all, a deep sense of purpose.

At Grovelands Childcare, which my family and I have grown over many years, more than 700 children now attend across our services, supported by a committed team of 140 staff. Like many employers, we face real challenges with recruitment and retention, and the increasing regulatory and administrative burden placed on the early years sector can be frustrating. There are days when it feels relentless.

But those pressures fade when I walk through a room and see children settled, confident and happy, and parents reassured that their child is cared for and valued. That is what grounds us and keeps us going.

As President of Athlone Chamber of Commerce, it has been a particularly rewarding year. I am immensely proud of the energy and commitment within Athlone’s business community. Our Business After Hours events continue to grow, bringing people together in an informal but purposeful way. Membership of the Chamber is increasing, and our first Corporate Lunch was a real milestone, showing what can be achieved when businesses take time to connect.

The Chamber Business Awards were a standout moment. The sense of pride in the room was palpable, and long after the night itself, people are still talking about it and sharing photographs.

On a personal level, this has also been another year of resilience. My breast cancer returned approximately two years ago, and I am now on ongoing treatment. I am coping well, thanks to Prof John Crown and my health team in St Vincent's Private Hospital, and in no small part to the unwavering support of my family. I am deeply thankful to my husband Ronan, my daughter Dee and her wife Tracey, my son Caolan and his wife Aoife, and to my grandchildren Tegan, Caoimhe, Leah — and last, but certainly not least, Lucia, who provides us all with endless entertainment and joy. Their love, encouragement and humour keep me grounded.

* My hopes for 2026 are...

The year ahead promises to be just as demanding for Grovelands. The Department of Children, Disability and Equality has recently launched two new action plans that will significantly affect early learning and childcare providers. As one of the two national representatives for full-day care employers, I spend a great deal of time engaging at policy level. I do this because I believe deeply that those delivering services on the ground must be part of shaping the decisions that affect them. I remain hopeful that the promise of a genuine partnership with providers will be honoured, because the future of early learning and care depends on trust, realism and collaboration.

Community, for me, is not an abstract idea — it’s about showing up, listening, and doing the work, even when it’s difficult. People often ask why I continue to take on so much. The answer is simple: I care deeply about what I do, and I believe that staying engaged, hopeful and connected is how we build strong communities — together.