NATIONAL AWARD FOR CARLOW STUDENTS AT ENTERPRISE FINALS

IRELAND’S FINEST YOUNG STUDENT ENTREPRENEURS CELEBRATED AT NATIONAL FINALS

Students from Carlow have taken Best Business Website prize in Senior Category at this year’s Student Enterprise Programme National Finals. The Finals of the Local Enterprise Office initiative took place on Friday in Croke Park.

Supported by Local Enterprise Office Carlow, The students won best business website in the Senior Category. The winning students were Jamie Noctor, Paul Barrett, Oisin Nolan, Andi Dascalescu  of Tullow Community School who worked under the guidance of their teacher, Mr. Brian Larkin. Their student enterprise was called: Monarch Gymwear, a business which creates its own Gym Brand Clothing with a vision to build an inclusive community through delivering premium quality Gymwear in distinctive styles to allow its members to transform their lives and wellbeing through fitness.

There were 82 student businesses in contention across three main categories for the Final in what is Ireland’s largest entrepreneurship programme for second level students. The initiative, funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland and delivered by the 31 Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities throughout the country, saw 25,000 students from almost 500 secondary schools across the country take part.

Neale Richmond, T.D., Minister of State for Employment Affairs and Retail Business, who took part in the ceremony, congratulated the students; “Congratulations to everyone who made it to today’s National Finals. With over 25,000 students taking part in this year’s programme, it is a huge achievement to make it to the Finals and shows a real flair for entrepreneurship. Some amazing businesses and entrepreneurs have come from this programme – the majority did not win any prizes but are still running successful businesses today. So, to those of you who won something today, a huge congratulations, but most importantly, to you all, this is the first step on the path, you are the entrepreneurs and business leaders of the future, and everyone here today is excited to see what you do next.”    

Kieran Comerford Head of Economic Development & Enterprise said; “Year on year the Student Enterprise Programme continues to showcase the very best of Irish ingenuity and entrepreneurship amongst our secondary school students. This year produced a varied selection of businesses, from agricultural products and homemade gifts to products that were built on our unique ability to tell compelling stories. We see every year that the National Finals are not an end point for our student entrepreneurs, but a stepping stone on the next stage of their entrepreneurial journey. From our class of 22/23 we will see some business leaders and global entrepreneurs of the future emerge.” 

Kieran Cullinane, Director of Services of Carlow County Council said: it was great to see Carlow competing in the National Finals. 

“Congratulations to all the participants in this year’s Student Enterprise Awards. Fostering the next generation of Student Entrepreneurs is a priority of Carlow County Council's Local Enterprise Office team. The awards highlight a vibrant and thriving entrepreneurial spirit within Secondary schools in County Carlow. We are always delighted to give our support to young entrepreneurs, and it is always great to see awards coming back to the County from the National Finals.” he said.

The National Final students, who competed across three categories, Junior, Intermediate and Senior, were all attendance on the day exhibiting their businesses which were judged by a team of national businesses experts and mentors. Each student enterprise was challenged with creating, setting up and running their own business, which must show sales of their service or product. The judging panel included business owners and representatives from enterprise agencies and associated bodies. 

 The three main category winners on the day were: ‘McCompactors’ from Roscommon Community College, representing Local Enterprise Office Roscommon (Senior Category Winner), ‘’Clip Clop Designs” from Moyne Community School representing Local Enterprise Office Longford (Intermediate Category Winner), and ‘Grasper’ from Drumshanbo Vocational School representing Local Enterprise Office Leitrim (Junior Category Winner).

Last year’s winner of the Student Enterprise Programme were “Barrelda” - an eco-innovation created by two young farmers from Co. Meath. Barrelda specialise in revamping old, blue polythene drums and recycling them to create meal silos and teat feeders. The young entrepreneurs have won high praise from eco organisations and farming organisations nationwide for their sustainability focused project which also addresses the rising costs of farming equipment.   

The Student Enterprise Programme is funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland and delivered by the 31 Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities throughout the country.  Since the Student Enterprise Programme began in 2003, over 350,000 students have taken part, learning key skills on how to create a business idea, start a business and grow a business. 

www.StudentEnterprise.ie

For further information: Local Enterprise Office - Carlow

Winners

Senior Category

1st – McCompactors – Roscommon Community College, Roscommon

2nd – Colaiste Muire Student IDs – Colaiste Muire, Cobh, Cork

3rd – Hurlr – Heywood Community School, Laois

 Intermediate Category

1st – Clip Clop Designs – Moyne Community School, Longford

2nd – Premier Woodworking – CBS Thurles, Tipperary

3rd – HD Horseshoe Design – St. Kieran’s College, Kilkenny

 Junior Category

1st – Grasper – Drumshanbo Vocational School, Leitrim

2nd – Orlaith’s Derrybrien Honey – Gort Community School, Galway

3rd – Clochai Cneasta – Castleisland Community College, Kerry

 

 PREVIOUS STUDENT ENTERPRISE PROGRAMME WINNERS

 2022 

Junior – Sew Stylish - Brigid’s College, Callan

Intermediate – Earrings by Aoibheann- Loreto College, Dalkey 

Senior – Barrelda – St. Patrick’s Classical School, Navan 

 2021

Junior – Go Green Now – Salerno Secondary School, Galway

Intermediate – T-Snappi – Summerhill College, Sligo

Senior – Coppercase – St. Macartan’s College, Monaghan

 2020

Junior – Sofatop – Ballybay Community College, Monaghan

Intermediate – Aim It Board – Loreto College, Dublin City

Senior – Handy Hose – CBS Thurles, Tipperary

 2019

Junior – Specrest – Educate Together, Portmarnock

Intermediate – Crios Mhadra – Presentation Secondary, Castleisland, Kerry

Senior – Smooth Remove – Boherbue Comprehensive, North Cork

 2018

Junior – Complete Camán – Presentation Secondary School, CastleIsland, Kerry

Intermediate – Lift Arm Assist – CBS Kilkenny

Senior – Abbey Bread – Cistercian College, Roscrea, Offaly

 2017

Junior – Daisy’s Pawesome Bowties – Our Lady’s Secondary School, Drogheda

Intermediate – Scott Engine Tables - Colaiste Chill Mhantáin, Rathnew, Wicklow

Senior – ROC Protection – Clonkeen College, Blackrock, Dublin