TIPPERARY STUDENTS SET FOR CROKE PARK ENTREPRENEURSHIP FINAL

Local Enterprise Office Tipperary have announced that teenage entrepreneurs from Newport College, Ursuline Secondary School and CBS Thurles will represent Tipperary at this year’s Student Enterprise Programme National Finals on Friday 5^th May.  The Finals make a return to Croke Park for the first time since 2019 and this year’s County Final marks the first event to launch Local Enterprise Week in the County.

The students all took part in the Tipperary Final on Monday 6 March which was held at the TUS Campus, Thurles.  An estimated 1,800 students from 24 schools took part in the annual programme locally.

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 25,000 students from just under 500 secondary schools across the country take part in 2021 / 2022.  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 Tipperary at the National Finals are: Jack Caplis, Daire Nolan, Luke Ryan and Michael Lynch with their company Lamb Feeders from Newport College.

In the Intermediate Category, Padraic Murphy & Sean Bergin and their company Premier Wood Working from CBS Thurles will be representing the county at the Finals.

In the Senior Category of the competition, Tipperary will be represented by Kate McKenna, Orla Hayes, Sarah Brett, Issy Carr and Ellen O’Mara with their company Phone K.O.S.I.E from Ursuline Secondary School, Thurles.

Special guests at the Tipperary Final included Leas Cathaoirleach Noel Coonan, Joe MacGrath Chief Executive Tipperary County Council and Head of Enterprise Anthony Fitzgerald.

The County has a very successful track record in the student enterprise competition since its inception.  CBS Thurles was the most recent overall national winner when Handy Hose, a company set up by Jack O'Mara and Daniel Ruddy developed a magnetic hose holder which won 1st place in the National Final Senior Category in 2020.  

Speaking at the county final, Leas Cathaoirleach Noel Coonan, Tipperary County Council congratulated the students, saying “We have a very successful student enterprise programme here in Tipperary, with over 1,800 students from 24 local 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 5^th May, and we will all hope to be there to support them. 

Joe MacGrath, Chief Executive Tipperary County Council, acknowledged that it has been a particularly challenging couple of years for students and that 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”.

Other awards presented included two Teacher awards which went to Clare Sullivan of Newport College and Theresa Wall, Gaelcholáiste Clonmel.  An overall school award was presented to Cahir based Colaiste Dun Iascaigh.  

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 at Croke Park in Dublin on the 5^th May. 

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.  The Student Enterprise Programme also has new range of online resources for 2022 / 2023 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.

ENDS                                                                                                                                                                      

For further information, please contact Anthony Fitzgerald, Head of Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office Tipperary 0818 06 5000.

Notes to Editor

Names of winning enterprises

JUNIOR CATEGORY

Intermediate Category

 SENIOR CATEGORY

About the Student Enterprise Programme (studententerprise.ie)

The Student Enterprise Programme is co-ordinated by the Local Enterprise Offices and involves approximately 25,000 students from 500 secondary schools every year. It runs from September to May and the 2022/2023 National Final takes place online on the 5^th May.                                                                               

Website: www.studententerprise.ie / #studententerprise / Twitter: @StudentEntProg / Facebook: /studententerpriseprogramme / Instagram: /studententerpriseprogramme