KILKENNY STUDENTS SET FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP FINAL

Local Enterprise Office Kilkenny have announced that teenage entrepreneurs from Presentation Secondary School, and Coláiste Abhainn Rí will represent Kilkenny at this year’s Student Enterprise Programme National Finals on Thursday 9^th May in Mullingar Park Hotel.

The students all took part in the Kilkenny County Final on Thursday 29^th February, which was held at Lyrath Hotel. Over 1000 students from 11 schools took part in the annual programme locally with 110 students making it to the County Final.

Senior Category Winners of the main competition Niamh Brett, Danica Tervit Kruger, & Hazel Maher from The Little Lost Collection at Presentation Secondary School. L-R: John Mulcahy, LEO Kilkenny, Teacher Caoimhe McCarthy, Niamh Brett, Danica Tervit Kruger, & Hazel Maher, Cathaoirleach, Cllr. Michael Doyle, Aileen McGrath Acting Head of Enterprise, Cllr. Pat Fitzpatrick

In the Junior Category, the students representing Kilkenny at the National Finals is Robbie Lyons from Berry Burst at Coláiste Abhainn Rí. The company makes homemade jams in 5 delicious flavours.

Muireann Bibby and Tom Carey from Gloine Mara at Coláiste Abhainn Rí will be representing the county at the Finals in the Intermediate Category. This company create beautiful handcrafted canvas art gifts from the sea.

Intermediate Category Winners of the main competition Muireann Bibby & Tom Carey from Gloine Mara at Coláiste Abhainn Rí

In the Senior Category of the competition, Kilkenny will be represented on May 9^th by Niamh Brett, Danica Tervit Kruger, and Hazel Maher from The Little Lost Collection at Presentation Secondary School. The Little Lost Collection is a story book collection created to educate children on the animal welfare situation in Ireland and teach them why it is important to adopt pets.

In the “My Entrepreneurial Journey” competition two Coláiste Abhainn Rí students won in their categories, Meabh Moylan of Tastalious Ltd. in the junior category and Jamie Power from Pollin8 in the intermediate category.

Winners of the Green Award The Green Award: David Gomez, Robert Deacon & Tares Schneider of The Greenway – CBS Kilkenny

Speaking at the county final, Cathaoirleach, Cllr. Michael Doyle mentioned “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”.

Aileen McGrath, Head of Enterprise (Acting), of Local Enterprise Office Kilkenny congratulated the students, saying “We have a very successful student enterprise programme here in Kilkenny with over 1000 students from 11 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 Thursday 9^th May, and we will all hope to be there to support them..” 

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 Mullingar Park Hotel on the 9^th May. 

Further information around the Student Enterprise Programme is available from www.studententerprise.ie and by searching #studententerprise on social media.

LEO Kilkenny Team - L-R: Laura Murphy, Catherine Myers, John Mulcahy, Aileen McGrath, Cathaoirleach, Cllr. Michael Doyle, Patrick Dillon Keane, Rita McGarvey

Names of participating schools in Student Enterprise Programme County Final:

1. Coláiste Abhainn Rí
2. St. Kieran's College
3. Kilkenny City Vocational School
4. Castlecomer Community School
5. Loreto
6. Colaiste Pobail Osraí
7. CBS Kilkenny
8. Duiske College
9. Presentation Secondary School
10. Kilkenny College
11. Scoil Aireagail

Names of winning enterprises:

Mini-Company Results:

• Junior Category: Robbie Lyons from Berry Burst at Coláiste Abhainn Rí.
• Intermediate Category: Muireann Bibby & Tom Carey from Gloine Mara at Coláiste Abhainn Rí
• Senior Category: Niamh Brett, Danica Tervit Kruger, & Hazel Maher from The Little Lost Collection at Presentation Secondary School

My Entrepreneurial Journey Results:

• Junior Category: Meabh Moylan of Tastalious Ltd. Coláiste Abhainn Rí.
• Intermediate Category: Jamie Power from Pollin8 Coláiste Abhainn Rí.

• Innovation Award: Tommy Walsh, Tiernan Shefflin, & Ciaran Coone of SWC Engineering – St. Kieran’s College
• The Green Award: David Gomez, Robert Deacon & Tares Schneider of The Greenway – CBS Kilkenny
• Best Commercial Potential Award (Sponsored by MacDonagh Junction): Jack Dooley & Killian Ryan of RD Bars – St. Kieran’s College
• Best Endeavour Award: Caragh Ní Dhomhnaill of Cakes & Crumbs – Colaiste Pobail Osrai
• Judges Choice Award: Olivia Dunphy & Orla Walsh of Perfect Puc – Presentation Secondary School

Special Merit Awards:

1. Lucy Forde & Sarah Ging of Precious Pout – Presentation Secondary School
2. Katie Ronan, Ella Cody, & Roisin Foley of Pawsome Collars – Presentation Secondary School
3. Emma Devoy, Aisling Freaney, & Emily Freaney of Kernal Krew – Colaiste Abhainn Ri
4. Aisling O'Shea & Lauren Enright of Keep it Kool – Colaiste Abhainn Ri
5. Amy Gorey of AG Photography – Presentation Secondary School
6. Anibal Lopez Hernandez, Joan Valles Bartoll, & David Tejedor of Green World Games – Kilkenny City Vocational School

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 2023/2024 National Final takes place on 9^th May.           

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 2022 / 2023.  The programme supports students to create, design and market their own business, all with the hope of reaching the National Finals.                      

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.