SEVEN STUDENTS FROM OFFALY SECURE SPOT AT STUDENT ENTERPRISE PROGRAMME NATIONAL FINALS
Seven budding teenage entrepreneurs from three local secondary schools have been selected to represent Offaly at the Student Enterprise Programme National Finals in Croke Park.
The young entrepreneurs will represent the Local Enterprise Office and their county at the Student Enterprise Programme showpiece on the 2nd May.
The students were all competing at the Offaly Final on 8th March, which was held at the Tullamore Court Hotel. Over 450 students from nine schools took part in the annual programme locally. This year a total of 33 businesses across three categories (Junior, Intermediate & Senior) and almost 100 students reached the County Final.
In the Junior Category, the student representing Offaly at the National Finals is Joanne Cushen from Colaiste Naomh Cormac, Kilcormac with her business “Gnó-Jó”. Her business provides clubs with fund raising opportunities.
In the Intermediate Category, a group of five students from St Mary’s Secondary School in Edenderry will be representing the county in Croke Park. Their business called “Seasonal Stationery Company” produces a range of hand-made stationery and gifts.
In the Senior Category of the competition, Offaly will be represented on 2nd May by Manus Heenan from Cistercian College with his business Abbey Bread. He has produced a yeast bread mix based on the original recipe used for over 100 years at the Mount St Joseph monastery.
As well as sharing the prize fund of over €3,000, each category winner received a specially commissioned trophy designed by Ross Hathaway of Metal Meyham, Kilcormac, and every student received a certificate to mark their participation in the competition.
This year, the students themselves had an opportunity to vote for their favourite project. The “Student Award” went to “To Dye For” from Gallen Community School, Ferbane who received €75. They produced a range of tie dye products including t-shirts which proved very popular with students.
A special teachers’ prize draw was held and gift vouchers went to Edwina Hall of Killina Presentation Secondary School and Gordon O’Donnell of St Mary’s Secondary School, Edenderry.
Speaking at the final, Mr Liam Quinn, Cathaoirleach Offaly County Council, commended the students for their efforts. He also thanked their teachers and parents for their support. “It’s a great opportunity for you (the students) to develop your business skills. Hopefully many of you will go on to set up your own businesses in the future and avail of the services of the Local Enterprise Office, which is now an integral part of the County Council.” he commented.
On behalf of the Local Enterprise Office Offaly, Geraldine Beirne firstly thanked the teachers involved for their support and acknowledged that without their commitment the Student Enterprise Programme would not take place. She also thanked the judges James Maloney, Enterprise Ireland, Carmel Ormond, Offaly Local Development Company and Caroline Collins, Tullamore Credit Union for giving of their time so freely. Finally, she gave a special word of thanks to the students for their hard work and enthusiasm.
Co-ordinated by the Local Enterprise Offices in every Local Authority area, the competition is the most successful student enterprise programme of its kind in the country.
Every September, entrepreneurial secondary school students across the country begin their business journey as they are encouraged to brainstorm, create and run their own businesses. In September 2017 over 23,000 students from 480 schools nationwide began their entrepreneurial journey with the help of their teachers and their Local Enterprise Office (LEO).
Offaly has a very strong record at the Student Enterprise National Final. Recent awards won by local secondary schools have included Innovation Awards at both Senior and Intermediate level in 2016 and Senior Category National Final Winner in 2015.
The local students will be competing with hundreds of other student entrepreneurs from all over Ireland in Croke Park at the 16th Annual Student Enterprise Awards National Finals on May 2nd. The Student Enterprise Programme began in 2003 and with over 150,000 students getting involved since its inception.
Further information around the Student Enterprise Programme is available from www.studententerprise.ie and by searching #studententerprise on social media.
The Local Enterprise Offices are co-funded by the Irish Government and the European Regional Development Fund 2014-2020.
Offaly Student Enterprise Programme County Final 2018
Winners Listing
Senior Category
Placing | School | Teacher | Business Name | Description | Students |
Winner | Cistercian College, Roscrea | Catherine Smyth | Abbey Bread | Yeast Bread Mix | Manus Heenan |
Runner Up | Ard Scoil Chiaráin Naofa, Clara | Katie Murray | Carniture | Unique furniture made from carparts | Adam O’Keeffe Dion Conroy Cormac Delaney |
3rd | Tullamore College | Ritchie Dalton | The Good Stuff | Snack Bar for young athletes | James Dunne Tomás Griffin Barry Crombie TJ Bermingham |
Innovation Award | Banagher College | Natalie Hehir |
| Animal Feeder made from recycled tyres | Thomas Daly |
Craft Award | Killina Presentation Secondary School | Edwina Hall | Pebble Pictures | Handmade pictures using pebbles | Laura Digan Róisín Gaffey |
Presentation Skills Award | Colaiste Choilm | Eamonn Fallon | L&M Jams | Jams | Robbie Lawlor Cian Martin |
Best Display Award | St Mary’s Secondary School, Edenderry | Paula Dunne | Frame Your Family Co. | Framed Family Trees | Bernard McVeigh Erin Kane Rachel Kelleghan Shay Evans |
Teamwork Award | St Mary’s Secondary School, Edenderry | Fiona Dunbar | Stick Pic | Customised hurl tattoos of club & county crests, initials & any design | Thea von Engelbrechten Maeve O’Connor Ali Howick Eric Corcoran |
Students Prize | Gallen Community School | Marilyn McDonagh | To Dye For | Tie dye products | Therese Lyons Alisa Murphy Laura Egan |
Merit | Cistercian College, Roscrea | Catherine Smyth | Easy Fund | Community Based Fund Raising Enterprise for New Equipment for Clubs | Adam Lambkin Shane Connolly |
Merit | Gallen Community School | Marilyn McDonagh | HomeMade Heat | Homemade Briquettes | Philip Keegan Kealan Egan |
Merit | Banagher College | Ann Hardiman | StarLight | Eyeshadow product “pigments” | Katelyn Deegan |
Merit | Banagher College | Ann Hardiman | Scrumdiddlyumptious | Chocolate Santa Sleighs | Aoife Mahon Laura Clancy |
Merit | Killina Presentation Secondary School | Edwina Hall | Eli and I | Children’s Book about a little girl & her imaginary friend | Aishling Britten Maddie Smyth Ciarán Waters |
Merit | Killina Presentation Secondary School | Tracey Nolan | Liptastic | 100% all natural homemade lip balms | Martha Brickland Evelina Sturmaite Leah Duffin |
Merit | Killina Presentation Secondary School | Tracey Nolan | Comfort Keeper | Memory Foam Comfort Strap to ease shoulder pain | Anna Doherty Conor Gibbons Niamh Flanagan Desen Chen Naomi Tolbert |
Merit | Tullamore College | Michelle Griffin |
| Mini Booklets designed to help students revise easily on the go | Assia De Sousa Lauren Coffey Megan Caschera Lynam |
Merit | Tullamore College | Ritchie Dalton | Little Literature | Easy to Read Children Storybook | Destiny Lynch, Jade Grennan Karl Malapit Nicole Mannion Natasha Hughes Greta Baskyte |
Merit | Colaiste Choilm | Eamonn Fallon | C&D Enterprise | Reusable Water Bottle | Conor Brennan David Caulfield |
Merit | Colaiste Choilm | Eamonn Fallon | Lit Ltd | Candles | Blazej Maruszewski Kacper Askuntowicz |
Merit | Colaiste Choilm | Eamonn Fallon | Milo & Luke’s Magical Reindeer Food | Christmas Gifts for Children | Milo O’Connor Luke Egan |
Merit | St Mary’s Secondary School, Edenderry | Patsy Griffin | BOI Productions | Controller Cases | Sean Mc Redmond Conor Denehan Cathal Ryan |
Merit | St Mary’s Secondary School, Edenderry | Gordon McDonnell | Take Away Gardens | Garden starter kit in a small brown paper bag | Samuel Denehan Megan Callen Síle Holton Marta Cruz Conor Mulligan |
Merit | Ard Scoil Chiaráin Naofa, Clara | Katie Murray | Popsocketeers | Fashionable phone holding accessory | Amy Kelly Chloe Kelly Shannon Kelly |
Merit | Ard Scoil Chiaráin Naofa, Clara | Anne Maria Guinan | Cards and Candles to You | Hand painted candles and crafted cards | Chelsea Dunne Shauna Touhey Rebecca Fleming |
Merit | Ard Scoil Chiaráin Naofa, Clara | Anne Maria Guinan | Maskalicious | Home Made Face Masks for Well Being | Zoe Murray Sara Ruddle Ciara Monaghan |
Merit | Gallen Community School | Marilyn McDonagh | Star Bike Strapz | Velcro strap that holds your hurl to your bike | Darragh Flynn Adam Reams Marcus Keena Callum Dooner |
Intermediate Category
placing | School | Teacher | Business Name | Description | Students |
Winner | St Mary’s Secondary School, Edenderry | Fiona Farrell | Seasonal Stationery Company | Hand Made Stationery & Gifts | Ava McCormack Tara McDermot Jordan Judge Aaron Gorry Jake O’Callaghan |
Runner Up | Gallen Community School | Marilyn McDonagh | Bits and Bobs | Make up organiser for your bag | Emma Moore Maddie Norris Roisin Mannion Orla Hynes |
3rd Place | Gallen Community School | Karen Shine |
| New Junior Cert Card Aids | Nathan Dunican Liam Kerr |
Junior Category
placing | School | Teacher | Business Name | Description | Students |
Winner | Colaiste Naomh Cormac | Tommy Spollen | Gnó-Jó | Organisations with fund raising | Joanne Cushen |
Runner Up | Colaiste Choilm | Eamonn Fallon | Wooden Wonders | Personalised children toys & home décor | Cian Lewis |
3rd Place | Gallen Community School | Karen Shine | Girls Night In | Beauty Hampers | Katie Dunne Rebecca Coughlan |
See the photos here Student Enterprise Award Photos 2018
About the Student Enterprise Programme (studententerprise.ie)
The Student Enterprise Programme is co-ordinated by the Local Enterprise Offices and involves over 23,000 students from 480 secondary schools. It runs from September to May and the 2017/2018 National Final takes place on 2nd May, 2018 in Dublin’s Croke Park.
