St. Brendan’s Community School, Birr win Student Enterprise Awards with An Toinchar!

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.

TioncharSenior15SEARunnerupSEA15BoscaBirdsJuniorSEA15

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