NATIONAL AWARDS FOR TIPPERARYSTUDENTS AT ENTERPRISE FINALS

IRELAND’S FINEST YOUNG STUDENT ENTREPRENEURS CELEBRATED AT NATIONAL FINALS

There were 82 student businesses in contention across three main categories for the National Final in what is Ireland’s largest entrepreneurship programme for second level students that took place on Friday in Croke Park.  The 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 25,000 students from almost 500 secondary schools across the country take part.

Students from Tipperary were represented very well in the prize giving ceremony and Tipperary Local Enterprise Coordinator Tina Mulhearne congratulated all students and their teachers for their commitment and hard work to ensure that students returned to Tipperary having their businesses recognized at nation level.

The National Final students, who competed across three categories, Junior, Intermediate and Senior, exhibited their businesses which were judged by a team of national businesses experts and mentors.  Each student enterprise was challenged with creating, setting up and running their own business, which must show sales of their service or product.  The judging panel included business owners and representatives from enterprise agencies and associated bodies. 

Students from Ursuline Secondary School Thurles won Most Commerical Potential for their business Phone K.O.S.I.E in the very competitive Senior Category. Congratulations to Kate McKenna, Orla Hayes, Sarah Brett, Issy Carr, Ellen O’Mara who worked under the guidance of their teacher, Ms. Sharon Hynes.

CBS Thurles Premier Woodworking were awarded 2^nd place nationally in the Intermediate Category.  Well done on this excellent result for Padraic Callanan and Sean Bergin.  Their teacher Fergus O’Brien is no stranger to success in the programme when his team Handy Hose won 1^st place in 2020 in the Senior category.

Coláiste Dún Iascaigh’s Rian O’Keeffe under the stewardship of his teacher Martina Harahill won 1^st prize nationally in the ‘My Entrepreneurial Journey’ category. 

Also, on the day four 1^st year students  Oran Bourke, Rian O Keefe, Luke Hackett, and Sean Lacey with direction from their teachers Martina Harrahill, Mr. Cunningham, Ms. Treacy from Coláiste Dún Iascaigh got a very special mention at the final prizegiving for their fundraising for the Dillon Quirke Foundation having raised €30,590 with their Student Enterprise Programme business Ard Foireann.  On the day they were also treated to a tour around Croke Park and photos on the side line to mark their extraordinary fundraising efforts.

Neale Richmond, T.D., Minister of State for Employment Affairs and Retail Business, who took part in the ceremony, congratulated the students; “Congratulations to everyone who made it to today’s National Finals. With over 25,000 students taking part in this year’s programme, it is a huge achievement to make it to the Finals and shows a real flair for entrepreneurship. Some amazing businesses and entrepreneurs have come from this programme – the majority did not win any prizes but are still running successful businesses today. So, to those of you who won something today, a huge congratulations, but most importantly, to you all, this is the first step on the path, you are the entrepreneurs and business leaders of the future and everyone here today is excited to see what you do next.”    

Anthony Fitzgerald Head of Enterprise said; “Year on year the Student Enterprise Programme continues to showcase the very best of Irish ingenuity and entrepreneurship amongst our secondary school students. This year produced a varied selection of businesses, from agricultural products and homemade gifts to products that were built on our unique ability to tell compelling stories. We see every year that the National Finals are not an end point for our student entrepreneurs, but a stepping stone on the next stage of their entrepreneurial journey. From our class of 22/23 we will see some business leaders and global entrepreneurs of the future emerge.”

The three main category winners on the day were: ‘McCompactors’ from Roscommon Community College, representing Local Enterprise Office Roscommon (Senior Category Winner), ‘’Clip Clop Designs” from Moyne Community School representing Local Enterprise Office Longford (Intermediate Category Winner), and ‘Grasper’ from Drumshanbo Vocational School representing Local Enterprise Office Leitrim (Junior Category Winner).

The Student Enterprise Programme is funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland and delivered by the 31 Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities throughout the country.  Since the Student Enterprise Programme began in 2003, over 350,000 students have taken part, learning key skills on how to create a business idea, start a business and grow a business.

ENDS

For further information:

Tina Mulhearne, tina.mulhearne@tipperarycoco.ie 086 8364645

Winners

Senior Category

1^st – McCompactors – Roscommon Community College, Roscommon

2^nd – Colaiste Muire Student IDs – Colaiste Muire, Cobh, Cork

3^rd – Hurlr – Heywood Community School, Laois

Intermediate Category

1^st – Clip Clop Designs – Moyne Community School, Longford

2^nd – Premier Woodworking – CBS Thurles, Tipperary

3^rd – HD Horseshoe Design – St. Kieran’s College, Kilkenny

Junior Category

1^st – Grasper – Drumshanbo Vocational School, Leitrim

2^nd – Orlaith’s Derrybrien Honey – Gort Community School, Galway

3^rd – Clochai Cneasta – Castleisland Community College, Kerry

PREVIOUS STUDENT ENTERPRISE PROGRAMME WINNERS

2022 

Junior – Sew Stylish - Brigid’s College, Callan

Intermediate – Earrings by Aoibheann- Loreto College, Dalkey 

Senior – Barrelda – St. Patrick’s Classical School, Navan 

2021

Junior – Go Green Now – Salerno Secondary School, Galway

Intermediate – T-Snappi – Summerhill College, Sligo

Senior – Coppercase – St. Macartan’s College, Monaghan

2020

Junior – Sofatop – Ballybay Community College, Monaghan

Intermediate – Aim It Board – Loreto College, Dublin City

Senior – Handy Hose – CBS Thurles, Tipperary

2019

Junior – Specrest – Educate Together, Portmarnock

Intermediate – Crios Mhadra – Presentation Secondary, Castleisland, Kerry

Senior – Smooth Remove – Boherbue Comprehensive, North Cork

2018

Junior – Complete Camán – Presentation Secondary School, CastleIsland, Kerry

Intermediate – Lift Arm Assist – CBS Kilkenny

Senior – Abbey Bread – Cistercian College, Roscrea, Offaly

2017

Junior – Daisy’s Pawesome Bowties – Our Lady’s Secondary School, Drogheda

Intermediate – Scott Engine Tables - Colaiste Chill Mhantáin, Rathnew, Wicklow

Senior – ROC Protection – Clonkeen College, Blackrock, Dublin