Moate CS and Bower projects reach national student enterprise final

Local Enterprise Office Westmeath has announced that teenage entrepreneurs from Moate Community School and Our Lady's Bower will represent Westmeath at this year’s Student Enterprise Programme national final on Thursday, May 7, in the Mullingar Park Hotel.

The students all took part in the Westmeath final on March 3 at the Technological University of the Shannon, Athlone, which sponsored the prize for the Most Enterprising School award on the day.

More than 800 students from 11 Westmeath secondary schools took part in the annual programme for 2025/2026. Nationally, the enterprise education initiative, funded by the government through Enterprise Ireland and delivered by the 31 Local Enterprise Offices in the local authorities, had more than 30,000 students from almost 500 secondary schools take part in 2025/2026.

The programme supports students to create, design and market their own business, with the hope of reaching the national final.

Students representing Westmeath at national final

• Belle Ame, by Grace Pillion, Sheenagh Lawler and Niamh Henson, Moate Community School, will represent Westmeath at the national final in the junior category.

• Crochet Comforts, by Aine Dullea, Moate Community School, will represent Westmeath at the national final in the intermediate category.

• Green Yard, by Amy Reynolds, Hannah O’Connor and Ruby Duane, Our Lady’s Bower, will represent Westmeath at the national final in the senior category.

Other category award recipients 2025/2026

• Junior runner-up, Moate Community College, Timber Workshop, Luke Smith and James Loddick.

Intermediate runner-up, St Joseph’s Secondary School, PNKS Jewellery, Sorcha Mitchell, Katelynn Stewart, Phoebe Burbridge and Nikita Hensey.

• Senior runner-up, Mercy Secondary School, Kilbeggan, DRT, Ryan Smyth, Daniel Donaghy and Tyler Keogh.

• Best Display, Our Lady’s Bower, Bulder, Aoife Kane.

One To Watch Award, St Finian’s College, Ténoir, Ashley McCarthy, Nathan Walsh, Scott Sweeney and Adam Reynolds.

• Innovation Award, St Finian’s College, SoleMate, Aoibhinn Nolan, Ruby Higgins, Yves McCague and Hanorah Glennon.

• Most Enterprising, School The Bower, Athlone.

• Sustainability Award, Loreto College, H.O. Cleanse, Sarah Lynn.

• Student Choice Award, Mercy Secondary School, Kilbeggan, Heart Hug, Alicia Pohl.

• Entrepreneurial Student Award, Loreto College, Mullingar, Cartaí Chroí Jennifer McGlynn.

Special guests at the Westmeath final included An Cathaoirleach Cllr Aoife Davitt and Barry Kehoe, chief executive, Westmeath County Council.

Christine Charlton, head of Enterprise at LEO Westmeath, congratulated and praised the students: “Our national finalists are excellent ambassadors for the programme and we wish them the best of luck at the national finals in May, and we will be there to support them.

“The LEOs host this competition to encourage and support a culture of entrepreneurship and the students have demonstrated the spirit of entrepreneurship, and a commitment to innovating, to be the best at what you do, and that is what this competition is about.

“As you move on through school, college and wherever your path takes you, if you can carry these values with you, don’t underestimate the positive impact those skills will bring to everything you do.”