Banagher, Ferbane and Tullamore students reach national enterprise final
Image 1 of 3
1st Place Winner in the Senior Category Offaly Student Enterprise Abhainn Hurley from Banagher College with her teachers Gillian Dewane (left) and Ann Hardiman (right)Image 2 of 3
1st Place Winner in the Junior Category Offaly Student Enterprise Cian Conway from Tullamore College being presented with his trophy by Declan Harvey, Cathaoirleach of Offaly County Council. Also in the photo is Mary McIntyre from the Local Enterprise Office.Image 3 of 3
Offaly Student Enterprise Senior Category prize winners from Tullamore College. Back row left to right: Elodie Le Bourhis, Shauna Rigney, Julia Hooper, Front row left to righ: John Lowndes (teacher), Kate Fleming, Adina Lavin, Declan Harvey Cathaoirleach Offaly County Council, Mary McIntyre, Local Enterprise Office, Rebecca Mulpeter, Robyn Joyce, Sarah Nolan (teacher)Local Enterprise Office Offaly has announced that winning teenage entrepreneurs from Banagher College, Gallen Community School, Ferbane and Tullamore College will represent Offaly at this year’s Student Enterprise Programme National Finals on Wednesday, May 18. The finals return to a physical event this year at The Helix in Dublin having been held online in 2020 and 2021.
The students all took part in the Offaly Final on March 8 which was held online. Some 76 students from nine schools from all over the county took part in the annual programme. The schools involved were Banagher College, Cistercian College Roscrea, Ardscoil Chiaráin Naofa, Clara, Gallen Community School, Ferbane, Coláiste Choilm, Tullamore, Tullamore College, Coláiste Íosagain, Portarlington, St Mary’s Secondary School, Edenderry and St. Brendan’s Community School, Birr
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 in 2020/2021. 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 student representing Offaly at the national finals is Cian Conway from Conway’s Cuisine at Tullamore College.
In the Intermediate Category, Áine Colclough, Emma Foley, Hannah Grennan and Ruth Quirke from Gallen CS Binders, Gallen Community School, Ferbane will be representing the county at the finals.
In the Senior Category of the competition, Offaly will be represented by Abhainn Hurley from Páipear Plandai at Banagher College.
Speaking at the county final, Orla Martin of the Local Enterprise Office Offaly congratulated the students, saying: “We have a very successful student enterprise programme here in Offaly, with twenty-nine entries from 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 May 18. 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”.
Offaly County Council Cathaoirleach Declan Harvey said “I know the last two years haven’t been the easiest ones to set up a new business. But I hope that as a result of managing to run your real business despite all the additional challenges, you have learnt a lot about what’s involved in being self-employed. But equally important I hope you have found a new confidence in yourselves and your abilities. Hopefully many of you will go on to set up your own businesses in the future and avail of the services of the Local Enterprise Office to help you along the way. I want to acknowledge the hard work and enthusiasm of you the students. I also want to commend your teachers who have helped and encouraged you along the way since September.”