CLARE’S MOST ENTERPRISING STUDENTS ARE ON THE VIRTUAL ROAD TO FINALS
Local Enterprise Office Clare have announced that winning teenager entrepreneurs from St. Joseph’s Secondary School, Spanish Point and Scoil Mhuire, Ennistymon have won the County Final of the Student Enterprise Programme which took place virtually on March 3rd. This final was one the many events taking place for Enterprise Week. The winning teams will represent Clare at this year’s Student Enterprise Programme National Finals. Given the current restrictions the Final will take place virtually on May 14th.
8 secondary schools in Clare took part in this year’s Programme. The enterprise education 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 over 25,000 students from over 500 secondary schools across the country take part last year.
In the Junior Category, the students representing Co. Clare at the National Finals are Sadie O’Brien and Niamh Lavender-Duncan of ‘The Art Company’ at Scoil Mhuire, Ennistymon.
In the Intermediate Category, Mae Kivlehan of ‘Tried n Tested’ from Scoil Mhuire, Ennistymon will be representing the county.
In the Senior Category of the competition, Co. Clare will be represented on May 14th by Aoibhnait O’Dea and Roisin Montgomery from ‘Portable Pouches’ at St. Joseph’s Secondary School, Spanish Point..
Special guests at the virtual County Final included an Cathaoirleach, Clare County Council, Mary Howard who was very impressed by the standard, positivity and resilience of the students in what has been a very challenging year. She congratulated this year’s winners adding that the Programme “is a practical and fun way of encouraging young people to consider establishing their own business ideas in years to come.”
Other special guests at the event included Marty Morrissey, Sharon Shannon, Anthony Daly and many more.
Hosting the county final, Padraic McElwee of Local Enterprise Office Clare congratulated the students, saying “Our national finalists are excellent ambassadors for the programme and we wish them the very best of luck on May 14th. What our students are learning from the programme is that with the right supports and encouragement, they can take an idea from the classroom and develop it into a real-life business. The skills they learn along the way, such as business planning, market research, selling and team-work, will help them become more entrepreneurial throughout their future careers. These are unprecedented times for our students and this year’s competition gave them the opportunity to create businesses that can make an impact in the current real-world scenario”.
The local students will be competing against hundreds of other student entrepreneurs from all over Ireland on May 14th at the Annual Student Enterprise Programme National Finals.
Further information around the Student Enterprise Programme is available from www.studententerprise.ie or www.localenterprise.ie/clare and by searching #studententerprise on social media.
Trophies by Conor Murray, Kilkee Forge
Judges: Conor Murray & Siobhan Mulcahy
Photography: Arthur Ellis
AV: Matt Purcell AV
4th March 2021
