This article was originally published prior to the dissolution of City & County Enterprise Boards and the establishment of Local Enterprise Offices. This article may therefore make reference to City & County Enterprise Boards.
Winners from Donabate, Castleknock and Skerries, to Represent Fingal at National Finals
Fingal’s next generation of entrepreneurs celebrated yesterday, Thursday, 13th March, as winners of the thirteenth annual Fingal Student Enterprise County Final were announced at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Blanchardstown.
Organised by Fingal County Enterprise Board and supported by the Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board and Fingal County Council, the Fingal Student Enterprise Awards Programme is the largest initiative of its kind in the country, with an overall prize fund of €15,000.
The Fingal Student Enterprise Awards Programme supports students in planning and managing real life businesses; helping them to trade and generate an income during the school year. This year over 580 student businesses were established during the Fingal Student Enterprise Programme which commenced in September 2013. 59 of these student enterprises, from 22 secondary schools and 9 primary schools, took centre stage at the annual Awards Ceremony.
In the secondary schools competition, prizes included glass trophies, certificates and Blanchardstown Centre and One4all vouchers. The Junior Category was won by Jeet Argan from Donabate Community College, with Stylets of Luttrellstown Community College, taking the runner-up prize. The Intermediate Category was awarded to Boot Drying Box from St. Vincent’s Castleknock, while Safe Set of St. Vincent’s Castleknock took second place.
The Senior Category was presented by the Mayor of Fingal, Councillor Kieran Dennison, with A Taste of Howth from St. Fintan’s Highschool announced as runner-up and Laps of Skerries Community College, claiming first prize, which includes an educational trip to Barcelona. The Innovation Award in the Senior Category was presented to TYI from Luttrellstown Community College.
The Enterprising School Spirit Award for Secondary Schools was awarded by the C.E.O. of the Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board, Paddy Lavelle to Identity from Blakestown Community School. Paddy Lavelle also presented the DDLETB Enterprise Award for Secondary Schools to Lusk Community College. The Enterprising School Spirit Award for Primary Schools was awarded by Joe Harford, Chairperson of the Fingal County Enterprise Board and went to Magnificent Masks from Balbriggan Educate Together. The winning student enterprises received a glass trophy, certificates and an iPad tablet as their prize.
This year, a new award was created for social media activity, which recognised successful digital media campaigns run by Secondary School student enterprises. The Social Media Award in the Senior Category went to Gaeilge Cliste from Loreto College Swords; the Intermediate Category winner was ITS Bands of Coláiste Choilm CBS while the Junior Category Social Media Awards Winner was announced as Pencil Holder from Lusk Community College. The winning micro-enterprises received certificates and One4all vouchers. Xtreme.ie from Balbriggan also sponsored adventure packages as part of the sponsored prizes.
Oisin Geoghegan, CEO of Fingal County Enterprise Board, presented the Best Display Award for primary schools to Cards from Scoil Phádraic Cailíní.
Speaking at the event, he said: “We run this programme to cultivate entrepreneurial talent in our youngest citizens. This year we have an exceptional crop of innovative, intelligent and confident students and we are delighted to have provided them with an opportunity to discover the excitement and demands of running a small business.” He continued: “We’d like to congratulate all the winning companies and participants at today’s Awards Ceremony and wish the best of luck to the three main category winners in the Secondary Schools competition, who will go on to represent Fingal at the National Student Enterprise Awards in Croke Park on April 2nd.”
This year’s student enterprises aim to repeat the success of Fingal schools at last year’s National competition, when Fingal schools won more prizes than any other county in Ireland. Awards were won awards in all three categories, including: Junior, Intermediate and Senior by Castleknock Community College, Skerries Community College, and Colaiste Choilm in Swords.
