Students and teachers from all over Offaly gathered in the Tullamore Court Hotel today (Thursday 19th March) for the announcement of the winners of the Offaly Student Enterprise Awards.
The overall winner of the Senior Category was a project called “An Tionchar” from St. Brendan’s Community School, Birr. Owned by Shíofra Ryan, she has developed an impact hurling boot. The boot is designed to help with injury prevention. Currently the boot worn by hurlers is designed to meet the needs of soccer players and does not protect the ankle. Shíofra has already tasted success at the BT Young Scientist winning two awards. She placed second in the Intermediate technology category and was awarded with the Reverend Dr. Tom Burke €1,000 Bursary award. She was also one of 30 students at the BT Young Scientist Business Boot Camp which took place in UCD this week, winning on this occasion also.
The runner-up was “Keep Cool Products” from Killina Presentation Secondary School, a business owned by Niall O’Rourke, Luke O’Connell and Emma Horan. They have developed and produced a highly innovative product designed to combat cardiac arrest, stroke and sports related brain injuries.
The Junior category winner “Bosca Birds” hailed from St. Brendan’s Community School, Birr. The students Adam Carroll, Cian Lyons and Eoin Cooper make beautiful bird boxes. The runner-up was “Slieve Bloom Soaps and Salts” also from St. Brendan’s Community School.
This year a total of 24 businesses from 7 schools and with 75 students reached the County Final.
As well as sharing the prize fund of almost €2,500, the winner of each category (Junior and Senior) received a specially commissioned trophy designed by Ross Hathaway of Metal Mayhem, Kilcormac, and every student received a certificate to mark their participation in the competition.
The students themselves had an opportunity to vote for their favourite project. The “Students Award” prize winner was “Cliplox” from Killina Presentation Secondary School. This innovative product is a magnetic designed hairclip and bobby holder.
The National Student Enterprise Awards Programme, run by the Local Enterprise Offices offers second level students the opportunity to take a business from the ideas stage through to market research and production, selling their product, keeping records and finally writing a report on their activities.
The competition is organised by the Local Enterprise Office to encourage entrepreneurship in the second level education system.
A special teachers’ prize draw was held and gift vouchers went to Renée Gallagher of Tullamore College and Patrick Concannon of Killina Presentation Secondary School.
On behalf of the organisers, Geraldine Beirne firstly thanked the teachers involved for their support and acknowledged that without their commitment the Student Enterprise Awards could not take place. She also thanked the judges Ger Lynam Sullivan, Byrne Casey & Associates, Tullamore and Carmel Ormond, Offaly Local Development Company for giving of their time. Finally, she gave a special word of thanks to the students for their hard work and enthusiasm.
Best wishes to the Offaly winners who will represent the county at the National Final, which take place in Croke Park on Wednesday 22nd April.
All the photos from the Awards can be viewed on our Facebook page.
Junior Category
Placing | School | Teacher | Business Name | Description | Students |
1st | St Brendan’s Community School, Birr | John Kennedy | Bosca Birds | Bird boxes | Adam Carroll Cian Lyons Eoin Cooper |
Runner Up | St Brendan’s Community School, Birr | John Kennedy | Slieve Bloom Soaps and Salts | Bath Salts | Alannah Donnelly |
3rd | St Brendan’s Community School, Birr | John Kennedy | Shinrone Signs | Sign manufacturing | Peter Cleary James Hayes |
Senior Category
Placing | School | Teacher | Business Name | Description | Students |
1st | St Brendan’s Community School, Birr | John Kennedy | An Tionchar | Impact Hurling Boot | Shíofra Ryan |
Runner Up | Killina Presentation Secondary School | Edwina Hall | Keep Cool Products | Products designed to combat Cardiac Arrest, Stroke and sports related brain injuries | Niall O’Rourke Luke O’Connell Emma Horan |
3rd | Tullamore College | Renée Gallagher | G S Protect Ltd | Wristbands that you can store your Gum shields in | Katie Rabbitte Gavin Murphy Dillon Donoghue William Walsh |
Innovation | Colaiste Choilm | Eamonn Fallon | MC & P | Mouse Traps | Ben Peilow Kevin Mc Elduff |
Innovation | Killina Presentation Secondary School | Edwina Hall | Cliplox | Magnetic Designed hairclip and bobby holder | Sarah Bracken Derek Mooney Michael Hickey Gerard Godley Emily Tierney |
Design | Cistercian College Roscrea | Flor O’Brien/ Catherine Smyth | C & M Tracking Solutions | A technology based solution to Farm Theft | Brian Cullinan Aaron Murphy |
Social Media/Technology | Killina Presentation Secondary School | Ms Guinan/
Mr Concannon | Finding First Year | Information Booklets for students going into 1st year | Conor Owens Stephen Cowen Darren Burke Dan O’Connor Thomas Dolan |
Student Prize | Killina Presentation Secondary School | Edwina Hall | Cliplox | Magnetic Designed hairclip and bobby in holder | Sarah Bracken Derek Mooney Michael Hickey Gerard Godley Emily Tierney |
Merit | Colaiste Choilm | Eamonn Fallon | Pilko’s Pet Farm | Pet farm | Jack Pilkington |
Merit | Colaiste Choilm | Eamonn Fallon | Murphy Gloves | Retail of Gaelic Football gloves | Cathal Curran |
Merit | Gallen Community School | Karen Shine/ Tom Dunican | Safe Sokz | High Visibility Garment for inside and around the top of your wellingtons | Avril Spain Eric Fletcher Kyle Cornally Peter Egan |
Merit | Gallen Community School | Karen Shine/ Tom Dunican | Topz and Tailz | Clothing accessories | Caoimhe Barnes Laura Devery Sophie Devery Aine Coughlan |
Merit | Tullamore College | Renée Gallagher | H L M S | Healthy Living Journal that contains a food diary, fitness Diary and a mental health Diary for teenagers | Liam Lynch Leanne Mulligan Alana Dillon |
Merit | Tullamore College | Renée Gallagher | Breathe Easy Band Ltd | Arm Band which holds an inhaler securely whilst doing activities such as cycling walking jogging etc | Ciannait Goulding Emily Deverell Jessie Nolan Victor Moujeke |
Merit | Killina Presentation Secondary School | Ms Guinan | Santa’s Little helpers/ Creative Creations | Handmade personalised cards plaques and Ornaments | Shauna Connolly Denise Condron Rachel Downes Sinead Kearney Katie Bryant |
Merit | St Mary’s Secondary School, Edenderry | Mrs Dunbar | The Shooting Star | Children’s Toy | Aoife Jenkins Rosin Choudhury Claire Robinson Kevin Mulraney Isaac Ward |
Merit | St Mary’s Secondary School, Edenderry | Mr Mc Donnell | Eden Bog Oak | Ornaments made from 100% locally sourced Bog Oak | Sean Blong Jack Doyle Matthew Bradley John Mulraney |
Merit | St Mary’s Secondary School, Edenderry | Mrs Dunbar | Ormorfia | Handmade bespoke jewellery | Shannon Kearney Hollie Scally Ellen Mc Veigh Lauren Grant |
Merit | St Mary’s Secondary School, Edenderry | Mrs Dunbar | Indie Plant Co. | An environmentally based gardening Kit | Jamie Quinn Karis Boyne Luke Hickey Mos Barngyim |
Merit | St Brendan’s Community School, Birr | John Kennedy | Arderin Skin Care | 100% natural face mask | Seamus Kinsella John Grimes Eimear O’Grady |
Merit | St Brendan’s Community School, Birr | John Kennedy | Luscious Lotions | Handmade lotions | Abigail Causer Clodagh O’Carroll |
Merit | St Brendan’s Community School, Birr | John Kennedy | Crafty Giftz | Handmade gifts including body butter, candles, truffles & soaps | Ciara Nolan Dearbhla Lyons |