A digital marketing start‑up, an inventive GAA training aid and a woodcraft business have taken the top honours in this year’s Clare Student Enterprise Final held at Tracey’s West County Hotel in Ennis.
The Local Enterprise Office Clare has announced that teenage entrepreneurs from St John Bosco, Kildysart, and St Flannan’s College, Ennis, will represent the county at this year’s Student Enterprise Programme National Final on 7 May.
Secondary students from across Clare competed in three categories, namely Senior (Transition Year, 4th Year, 5th Year, 6th Year & Youthreach Students), Intermediate (2nd Year & 3rd Year Students) and Junior (1st Year Students).
The enterprise education initiative, funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland and delivered by the 31 Local Enterprise Offices nationwide, saw over 30,000 students from nearly 500 secondary schools take part this year.
St Flannan’s College emerged as the overall Senior category winner for their digital marketing project, JSU Marketing. Led by teacher John O’Connor and featuring students Jack Hayes, Ultan Breslin, and Sean Daly, JSU Marketing is a digital marketing agency supporting small businesses. The student team build a website presence promoting its services, which include website and social media management, and strategic marketing.
St John of Bosco, Kildysart, was named Intermediate winner for Rebound X, a sports equipment enterprise developed by second-year students Kayla Houston, Addison Kelly, Niamh Browne, Isabelle Garry, and Maeve Coughlan under the guidance of teacher Helena Coffey. The team developed GAA rebounders, a unique piece of equipment that attaches to the crossbar of a goal allowing hurling, football and camogie players to practice their free-taking without having to retrieve their ball after each attempt.
The school also secured the overall Junior category title with Straight Grain Creations, a woodcraft business led by teacher Ciara Brouder. The team, comprising Dean Kelly, Donnacha Cleary, Nicholas Connelly and Liam Power, crafted high-quality wooden and 3D-printed items, combining traditional woodworking with creative design. The products included ballpoint and fountain pens, hurleys, dart oches, phone holders, baseball bats, and seasonal decorations, which were sold at markets, fairs and online through a website designed by the team.
Councillor Paul Murphy, Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, said, “Entrepreneurship is about taking risks, believing in your ideas and having the confidence to see them through. It is inspiring to see so many young people across Clare willing to learn, innovate and develop the skills that will make them business leaders of the future. I wish the category winners the very best of luck in this year’s Awards and all students the best in their future careers.”
Bernie Haugh, Head of Enterprise at LEO Clare, said the standard of entries in this year’s County Final had been exceptional.
She added, “The Student Enterprise Programme gives participants the chance to take a business from the idea stage, through market research, production, selling and management, and finally to writing a comprehensive business plan. These are skills that will benefit them long into the future.
“The young entrepreneurs from across Clare who took part this year showed real creativity, determination and business sense.”
Visit www.localenterprise.ie/clare for more.
