Two local groups win national student enterprise awards

Westmeath’s young entrepreneurs have been celebrated at the 24th Student Enterprise Programme National Finals, winning in the Intellectual Property category.

Moate Community School celebrated success in the Intermediate Category, where second year student Áine Dullea took home the Intellectual Property award.

Supported by her teacher, Louise Costello, Áine created Crochet Comforts, a range of microwavable, handmade scented hand warmers featuring detachable covers and matching scrunchies

In the Senior section, Our Lady’s Bower students Amy Reynolds, Hannah O’Connor, and Ruby Duane took home the Intellectual Property with Green Yard, developed under the guidance of their teacher, Ciara Finneran. Their project

focuses on a practical re-bag stand designed to promote recycling of large plastic bags on farms.

The Student Enterprise Programme, run by Local Enterprise Offices and supported by Enterprise Ireland, challenges secondary school students to create and manage their own businesses. This year over 30,000 students nationwide took part, with 88 businesses shortlisted for the finals.

Alan Dillon, T.D., Minister of State for Employment, Small Businesses and Retail, said: "This is one for the great days for Irish entrepreneurship in the country.

We get a chance to see almost 90 businesses started by secondary school students from across the country who have all been shortlisted for the finals and that in itself is an amazing achievement from the 30,000 pupils who started last September. These are students who have come up with brilliant ideas and forged them into businesses, making sales and understanding and learning the skills it takes to become an entrepreneur. No matter what path they choose in life those skills will stand by them but we hope that many of the students we see today will go on to become the start-up leaders and entrepreneurs of the future in this country."