The Ursuline Secondary School, Thurles head to Croke Park for the second year running in Student Enterprise Awards

The Ursuline Secondary School, Thurles scooped both the Senior and Intermediate Category awards at the Student Enterprise Awards County Competition which took place on Wednesday last 7^th March at the Abbey Court Hotel, Nenagh.  Newport College were the Junior Category winners. Both schools will now represent North Tipperary at the National Final which takes place on 18^th April inCrokePark.

This year 135 students from 7 second level schools competed in the County competition which carried a prize fund of almost €3,000.  The competition is run nationwide by the County & City Enterprise Boards since 2002 and is designed to increase enterprise awareness in the education system and to inculcate an entrepreneurial spirit among students. Close to 15,000 students participated in last year’s competition.   At County level the competition is run by the Tipperary North County Enterprise Board and last Wednesday’s event attracted a large attendance of parents, teachers, business and agency representatives who visited the 31 trade stands/displays and heard presentations from 5 competing schools.

External adjudicators are brought in by the Enterprise Board to judge the Competition which is marked against a national criteria and includes a business report, product sample, trade stand and student interview.   This year’s adjudicators were Ms. Mairead English Maher, South Tipperary CEB, and Ms. SharonRossiter of Star Finance and Ms. Burga Fulham, LimerickCityEnterpriseBoard.  In addition to the 1^st prize, runner up and 3^rd place in the Senior, Intermediate and Junior categories, the adjudicators awarded special prizes to projects that excelled.  This year’s exceptional projects won a ‘Most Innovative Product’ and ‘Best Stand/Exhibit’ Award.

The 2011 prize winners were:

Junior Category:

Winner: ‘Sparks’ by Katie O’Gorman, Aimee Mullane, Rebecca Kennedy, Amy Ryan
and Lorraine Seymour from Newport College who were awarded a cheque for €300, glass trophy and certificate.

Runner Up:  ‘ABC Eggs & Confectionary’ by Aaron Moriarty, Ciara Dorney, Brid Gleeson and Kevin McLaughlin from Colaiste Mhuire Co-Ed, Thurles who were awarded a cheque for €200, glass trophy and certificate.

Third Place: ‘Wise Men Christmas Products’ by David Shorley, Philip O’Sullivan and Brian Curran, Colaiste Mhuire Co-Ed, Thurles who were awarded a cheque for €100, glass trophy and certificate.
Intermediate Category:

Winner: ‘Race to Base’ by Rose Cantillon, Antonia Harold-Barry, Mary Kinane,
Sally O’Donnell and Roisin Dowling from the Ursuline Secondary School, Thurles who were awarded a cheque for €300, glass trophy and certificate.

Runner Up:  ‘Funky Bookmarks’  by Stephanie Troy, Zoe Mullane, Jane Kenny and April McCarthy from Newport College who were awarded a cheque for €200, glass trophy and certificate.

Third Place: ‘Sweet Candy’ by Belinda McCarthy and Milena Rataj from Colaiste Mhuire Co-Ed, Thurles who were awarded a cheque for €100, glass trophy and certificate.

Senior Category:
Winner: ‘Caman Let’s Play’ promoted by Edel Nyland, Mairead Blake, Laura Ryan, Roisin Corbett and Niamh McCormack from the Ursuline Secondary School, Thurles who were awarded a cheque for €500, glass trophy and certificate.

Runner Up:  ‘Tub a’Love’ by Michelle Collins, Chloe Murphy, Ayesha Ryan and Sarah Hennessy, from the Ursuline Secondary School, Thurles who were awarded a cheque for €300, glass trophy and certificate.

Third Place: ‘PTO Sensor’ by Grainne O’Dwyer from the Presentation Secondary School, Thurles who was awarded a cheque for €100, glass trophy and certificate.

Special Category Awards:
“Innovation”:  ‘PTO Sensor’ by Grainne O’Dwyer from the Presentation Secondary School, Thurles who was awarded a cheque for €60, glass trophy and certificate.

“Best Stand”:  ‘Mirror Madness’  by Maria Malone, Aoibhinn Slattery, Vivienne Mulcahy and Emma Walsh from St. Mary’s Secondary School, Nenagh who were awarded a cheque for €60 and certificate.
Prizes were presented by Mr. Matt Shortt, Chairman, of the Tipperary North County Enterprise Board.  Ms.  Rita Guinan spoke at the event and stated that “this competition is now a key event in the County Enterprise Board calendar and the Irish economy is relying on entrepreneurs like those present to aid its recovery”.  Ms. Guinan referred to the recent “Action Plan for Jobs” announcement and confirmed that irrespective of the Enterprise Board’s iteration the schools present can be assured that the Competition will continue into the future.  Other speakers at the prize giving ceremony included Ms. Eleanor Forrest, Tipperary North County Enterprise Board and Ms. Mairead English Maher from South Tipperary County Enterprise Board who talked about the standard of entry and explained the rationale for this year’s special prizes.  The Student Enterprise Awards Competition was co-ordinated on the Board’s behalf by Ms. Margaret O’Farrell.

County and City Enterprise Boards are funded by the Irish Government and by the European Union.