Fingal’s youngest entrepreneurs were celebrating at the 12th annual Fingal Student Enterprise Awards at the Crowne Plaza in Blanchardstown today (Tuesday, March 12th).
In all, fifty five student enterprises from eighteen secondary schools and six primary schools took centre stage at the annual County Final, which is organised every year by the Fingal County Enterprise Board.
Supported by Fingal County Council, the County Dublin V.E.C., the Blanchardstown Centre and Xtreme.ie over 2,000 local students have been researching and running their own businesses in the Student Enterprise Programme since last September, making it the largest programme in the country. 250 students competed at the County Final at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Blanchardstown today (Tuesday, March 12th), for a share of the €10,000 prize fund.
In the secondary schools competition, the Junior Category awards were announced by Tom Keogh from Keogh’s Crisps. The category was won by ‘Comfort Crutch’ from Skerries Community College while ‘Bookmarkers’ from Colaiste Choilm in Swords were runners-up. The Intermediate Category was won by ‘Lyetech’ from Colaiste Choilm in Swords and ‘Crash Pack’ from Colaiste Choilm in Swords claimed the runner-up prize. In the Senior Category, presented by Cllr Michael O’ Donovan, representing the Mayor of Fingal, ‘Colourful Learning’ from Donabate/Portrane Community College came runner-up, with ‘Music by Numbers’ from Castleknock Community College claiming first prize, along with an educational trip to Barcelona.
The Enterprising School Spirit Award for secondary schools, which was presented by the C.E.O. of the County Dublin V.E.C., Dr. Marie Griffin, was awarded to St Joseph’s from Rush. Dr. Griffin also presented the County Dublin V.E.C. Award for secondary schools to Balbriggan Community College. The Enterprising School Spirit Award for primary schools was presented by Joe Harford, the Chairperson of the Fingal County Enterprise Board and went to Squishyz at Tyrellstown Educate Together.
Portmarnock Community College’s ‘Surf Watch’ was presented with a special recognition award by Carmel O’Carroll, Fingal based Entrepreneur and Board Member of Fingal County Enterprise Board.
Oisin Geoghegan, C.E.O. of Fingal County Enterprise Board, presented the Best Display Award for primary schools to ‘PC10 Enterprises’ from St. Oliver Plunkett School in Malahide. Speaking at the event, Geoghegan said: “The aim of the programme is to foster an entrepreneurial culture in our classrooms and the programme has grown every year, to become the largest and most successful student enterprise programme in the country.”
This year’s Senior Category judging panel featured Ian Guider from Newstalk, Fingal-entrepreneur Carmel O’ Carroll and John Byrne from SAOL Business Partners. The Intermediate and Junior Categories were judged by Siobhan Brett from the Sunday Business Post, Shane O’Toole from Advanced Accounting and Maria Murphy from Ulster Bank. Paul Murgatroyd from the BASE Enterprise Centre and Business Mentor, Agnes Doyle, co-judged the Primary Schools’ Category.
The eighteen secondary schools which competed at this year’s County Final were: Coláiste Choilm (Swords), Loreto Secondary School (Swords), St. Fintan’s High School, (Sutton), Sutton Park School, Portmarnock Community School, Hartstown Community College (Dublin 15), Skerries Community College, St. Joseph’s (Rush), Castleknock Community College, Coolmine Community School, Castleknock College, Luttrellstown Community College, Donabate Community College, Ardgillan Community College, Mount Sackville (Chapelizod), Coláiste Pobail Setanta (Phibblestown), Loreto Secondary School Balbriggan and Balbriggan Community College.
The six primary schools that competed were: Balbriggan Educate Together, St George’s (Balbriggan), St. Cronan’s (Brackenstown, Swords), St. Oliver Plunkett (Malahide), Tyrellstown Educate Together and Huntstown National School.
The three main category winners in the secondary schools competition have been chosen to represent Fingal at the National Student Enterprise Awards in Croke Park on April 17th and every participating school was presented with a €200 Fingal Enterprise Grant.
