South Dublin Teenage Entrepreneurs compete for Croke Park

County Final Results

Excitement is building for student entrepreneurs from South Dublin, who won the coveted honour of representing  the county at the Student Enterprise Awards National Final in Croke Park on April 20th.

Selection was made at the recent County Final when the ITT campus in Tallaght buzzed with commercial endeavour as 14 schools from South Dublin competed at the regional finals. 57 businesses representing nearly 200 student entrepreneurs across the 3 categories showcased their enterprising acumen in the areas of Health & fitness,  sport, technology, beauty, crafts and textiles. A total of 28 awards worth more than €4500 were presented across the 3 categories to the winning projects while 1st place winners in each category will represent South Dublin in Croke Park.

Judges were busy before and at the event interviewing students and awarding marks based on  innovation, quality, marketing, sales, business report, finance and overall learning. Local Enterprise South Dublin is fortunate to have a number of steadfast Sponsors and Champions on board notably Institute of Technology Tallaght who have supported the initiative for the past 6 years. Other champions include Tallaght Square, The Echo, Aquazone, Spin 1038, Nic & Ali, Green Angel and Partas.

Praising the teachers and local schools involved in the programme, Colm Ward, Head of Local Enterprise, said: “The Student Enterprise Awards encourages and enables students to take on the world of business and develop an entrepreneurial mind-set. Local Enterprise Office South Dublin works with schools to help foster an enterprising culture in the classroom and nurture the next generation of entrepreneurs.”

The three main categories for the Student Enterprise Awards programme includes senior, intermediate and junior levels, with awards made for first and second place alongside awards for best innovation, display and social media. Additional special merit awards, many sponsored by our generous champions were made at the discretion of the judges.

Hall of Honour

Junior  Category Awards:

1st Place Award: Nae Nae’s Treasured Keepsakes set up by Renée Ní Thuathail, Coláiste De hÍde, Tallaght.

Most Innovative Award: Reward Me Charts set up by Dylan Downey & Eric McMahon Collinstown Park Community College

2nd Place Award : Quality Hurls set up by Seán Ó Broin, Tadhg Ó Maolcháthail, Adam Ó Broin  Coláiste De hÍde, Tallaght.

Best Display Award: Coffee & Pine set up by Emma Ní Thiarnaigh & Kerrie Ní Bhroin Coláiste De hÍde, Tallaght. Social Media Award sponsored by Tallaght Square: Ben and Shanes Useful Frames set up by Ben Palmer and Shane Murray Collinstown Park Community College

 Junior Winner 2016

Junior Winner 2016 - Renee Ní Thuthail from Coláiste de hÍde for 'Nae Nae's Treasured Keepsakes', pictured with Denis Higgins

Intermediate Category Awards:

1st Place Award: Find my Party set up by Paul Costello, Hugh Harney, Rishikesh Biju, Philip Omisore

Rockbrook Park School Rathfarnham

Most Innovative Award: MikCon Records set up by Mickey Ó Dúláin & Conor Cronin from Coláiste Coláiste De hÍde, Tallaght.

2nd Place Award : The Survival Guide:Life set up by Erica Flynn, Sophie Fullam, Shauna Melia

St Joseph’s College Lucan

Best Display Award: Anti bullying Campaign set up by Eoin Keogh Greenhills College, Tallaght Social Media Award sponsored by Tallaght Square: The Jokers set up by Augusta Baiju, Austin Shaji, Jeffrin Wilson & Jamie Murphy Rockbrook Park School Rathfarnham

Intermediate Winner 2016

Intermediate Winner 2016 - Philip Omisore, Rishikesh Biju, Paul Costello & Hugh Harney from Rockbrook Park School, Rathfarnham for 'Find my Party'

Senior Category Awards          

1st Place Award: Hurley Holders set up by Ben Kelly, Ciaran Cashman, Daniel O'Riordan &  Nicholas Tannam, Coláiste Éanna, Ballyroan,

Most Innovative Award: Take Care set up by Gabrielle Fullam & Sadhbh Thornton St Joseph’s College Lucan

2nd Place Award : Fast Aid set up by Ben Graham and James O Reilly  Coláiste Éanna, Ballyroan,

Best Display Award: Rising Times set up by Kate Hegarty, Ella Dawson & Avril Quinn, St Joseph’s College, Lucan

Senior Winner 2016

Senior Winner 2016 - Ciaran Cashman, Ben Kelly, Daniel O'Riordan and Nicholas Tannam from Coláiste Eanna for 'Hurley Holders'

Social Media Award sponsored by Tallaght Square: Sole Savers set up by  Kate Britton, Aoife O'Kane, Aoife McKearney, Ciara Ryder, Emma Scully &  Nicola Doorley St Joseph’s College Lucan

Special Merit Awards

Enterprising school of the year award 2016 sponsored by Partas Tallaght went to St Joseph’s College, Lucan

Eco Award went to Charming Christmas Crafts set up by Ruth Barron, Eoin Cully, Colm Meade, Kelly Kinsella, Martin Lawrence, Abiola Oyadina, Stephen Carton &  Matthew Breen Scoil Mochua Clondalkin

Entrepreneurial Spirit Award sponsored by Nic & Ali went to W.A.S Warm & Soft  set up by Uliana Slepukhina Sancta Maria College Ballyroan

Craftmanship Award went to Infinity Hoops set up by Sandra McCelland, Jessica McCelland, Laine Abria, Sophie Wells and Tara Whelan St Joseph’s College Lucan

Marketing & PR Award sponsored by Spin 1038  went to Pinpoint set up by Lukas Bauza, Jeremiah Olusegun & Fuad Usman Moyle Park College

Health & Fitness Award sponsored by Aquazone went to Joey’s Food Survival Guide set up by Genevieve Scott, Angeline Shaly Samrajakumer, Larisa Prelicz, Eve Smyth St Joseph’s College Lucan

 

Sales Award sponsored by The Echo went to Rick Kid Clothing Rockbrook Park School Rathfarnham

 

Best Pitch Award went to Mochua Munchies set up by Andzelika Aviziente, Jordan O'Neill, Tony McDonagh, Fiza Riaz, John Dylan Rooney, Leon O'Keefe

 

Next Stage...........Off to Croke Park

The student enterprises representing South Dublin at the National Finals on April 20th  in Croke Park are: Junior – Nae Nae’s Treasured Keepsakes (Renée Ní Thuathail), Coláiste De Híde; Intermediate – Find My Party (Paul Costello, Hugh Harney, Rishikesh Biju & Philip Omisore), Rockbrook Park and Senior – Hurley Holders (Ben Kelly, Ciaran Cashman, Daniel O'Riordan &  Nicholas Tannam),  Coláiste Éanna

Over 300 finalists from all over the country will set-up enterprise exhibition displays before taking part in a series of judging interviews at the National Finals on 20th April. As well as gaining substantial business experience, there is an impressive prize-fund on offer for the young entrepreneurs.

Further information around April’s National Finals is available through www.studententerprise.ie, which also has free resources and video tutorials for students and teachers for the 2016/2017 programme.