Local Enterprise Office Offaly have announced that winning teenage entrepreneurs from Presentation Secondary School, Killina, Tullamore College and Gallen Community School, Ferbane will represent Offaly at this year’s Student Enterprise Programme National Finals on Friday 5 May in Croke Park.
The students took part in the Offaly Final on the 7th of March which was held in the Tullamore Court Hotel. Over 600 students from 10 schools took part in the annual programme throughout the county, with 90 students competing at the County Final.
The enterprise education initiative, funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland and delivered by the 31 Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities throughout the country, saw over 24,000 students from just under 500 secondary schools across the country take part last year. The programme supports students to create, design and market their own business, all with the hope of reaching the National Finals.
In the Junior Category, the students representing Offaly at the National Finals are Zoe Heavin, Aimee Fitzgerald, Ava Moran, Katelyn Buckley and Emma Egan from Gallen Community School, Ferbane with their business “Hot Chocolate in 3”
In the Intermediate Category, Jack Keenahan and Nikita Greidans from Tullamore College will be representing the county at the Finals with their business “Jack & Nikita’s Woodcraft”.
In the Senior Category of the competition Offaly will be represented on May 5th by Cru Capaill Limited the business of Morgan Bennett and Niall Kelly from Presentation Secondary School, Killina.
Special guests at the Offaly Final included Leas Cathoirleach Tony McCormack, Cormac Mahon of the Offaly Local Development Company, Pat O’Gorman from the Local Enterprise Evaluation & Approvals Committee, Karen Byrne of Tullamore Credit Union and Garry Lowe of Whizzkids Training who mentored the students through the programme.
Offaly has had success over the years in the national finals – in 2021 Hology Photography from St Brendan’s Birr picked up the Excellence in Social Media Award and Abbey Bread from Cistercian College picked up the highly coveted 1st place in the senior category in 2018. Caballis Equine Ltd from Colaiste Choilm, Tullamore won the Innovation Award at the National Finals in 2016 and In the Intermediate Category, Offaly again won the Innovation Award with the business Farm Friendly Feeder from Gallen Community School, Ferbane. In 2015 1st place in the Senior Category was won by Shíofra Ryan from St. Brendan’s Community School, Birr for her specially designed hurling boot “An Tioncar”.
One of the 2020 County Final winners Anthony’s Wooden Crafts from Tullamore College is now supplying Dunnes Stores while still in school.
Speaking at the county final, Orla Martin, Head of Enterprise of Local Enterprise Office Offaly congratulated the students, saying “We have a very successful student enterprise programme here in Offalywith over 600students from 10local schools taking part this year. Our national finalists are excellent ambassadors for the programme and we wish them the very best of luck on Friday 5th May, and we hope to be there to support them. In what has been a particularly challenging couple of years for students the programme has offered them an outlet outside of the usual school demands. What our students are learning from the programme is that with the right supports and encouragement, they can take an idea from the classroom and develop it into a real-life business. The skills they learn along the way, such as business planning, market research, selling and team-work, will help them become more entrepreneurial throughout their future careers”.
The local students will be competing against hundreds of other student entrepreneurs from all over Ireland at the Student Enterprise Programme National Finals, taking place in Croke Park.
Eoin Phelan from Phelan Woodcraft Ard Scoil Chiarain Naofa, Clara
Since the Student Enterprise Programme began in 2002, over 300,000 students have taken part, learning key skills on how to create a business idea, start a business and grow a business. The Student Enterprise Programme also has a comprehensive range of online resources at www.StudentEnterprise.ie, which will feature regular blogs and houses a full range of Student Enterprise resources for students and teachers.
Further information around the Student Enterprise Programme is available from www.studententerprise.ie and by searching #studententerprise on social media.
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Names of participating schools in the 2022/2023 Student Enterprise Programme
Banagher College, Cistercian College Roscrea, Ardscoil Chiaráin Naofa, Clara, Gallen Community School, Ferbane, Coláiste Choilm, Tullamore, Tullamore College, Coláiste Íosagain, Portarlington, Presentation Secondary School, Killina, St. Mary’s Secondary School, Edenderry and St. Brendan’s Community School, Birr
Big Mac & Sons, Gallen Community School, Ferbane
Names of winning enterprises
Junior Category Results 1st Place “Hot Chocolate in 3” 2nd Place “Big Mac & Sons”, 3rd Place “Snowman Mayhem” all from Gallen Community School, Ferbane.
Intermediate Category Results 1st Place “Jack & Nikita’s Woodcraft” 2nd Place “Dylan’s Wooden Craft” all from Tulllamore College.
My Enterpreneurial Journey Intermediate Category was won by Sinéad Ryan’s “Spoken Stories”
Senior Category Results 1st Place “Cru Capaill Limited” Morgan Bennett and Niall Kelly from Presentation Secondary School, Killina, 2nd Place “Dreams Crumb True” Abbie Maunsell, Sarah Ryan and Shauna Geraghty from Tullamore College and 3rd Place “Phelan Woodcraft” Eoin Phelan from Ard Scoil Chiaráin Naofa, Clara.
Most Innovative Product Award was won by “Anne and Dan Can….” Orlaith Garvey & Aoife Worrell from Presentation Secondary School, Killina
The Sustainability Award was won by “SME Phone Holders” Ben Monahan, Conor Flynn, Liam McNamee and Callum Bermingham from St. Mary’s Secondary School, Edenderry.
The Best Report Award was won by “Úll Fuel” Daniel Scally and Paul Conway from Tullamore College.
The Best Marketing Award was won by “Cistercian Candles” Liam O’Riordan from Cistercian College, Roscrea.
The One to Watch Award was won by “Oghams for Homes” Kevin Gavin, Myles Handy and Ryan Carroll from Ard Scoil Chiaráin Naofa, Clara. 
The Best Stand Award was won by “Humble Honey” Darragh Mannion from Gallen Community School, Ferbane.
About the Student Enterprise Programme (studententerprise.ie)
The Student Enterprise Programme is co-ordinated by the Local Enterprise Offices and involves approximately 24,000 students from 500 secondary schools every year. It runs from September to May and the 2022/2023 National Final takes place in Croke Park on the 5th May.
Website: www.studententerprise.ie / #studententerprise / Twitter: @StudentEntProg / Facebook: /studententerpriseprogramme / Instagram: /studententerpriseprogramme
