Students from Newcastle West and Kilmallock crowned Limerick Student Entrepreneurs of the Year

Students who created a mobile mapping app for schools, a financial education app, a revision app for schools and a dog nutritional package have been selected as this year’s winners of the Limerick Student Enterprise Awards, run by the Local Enterprise Office (LEO) in Limerick.
More than a thousand students from 20 schools across Limerick city and county took part in the School Enterprise Programme which began last September.
They were mentored and given advice about how to move their ideas into the marketplace, sell their products and pitch their products to the judges.
Over 150 projects or businesses were started by students with a total of 46 projects being exhibited in the final at the South Court Hotel in Raheen, where judges made their final decisions.
The winners of this year’s Limerick Student Enterprise Awards are:
Senior Category – Pablo Science and Engineering – Donagh Morrissey, Domhnall Coffey and Jack McCoy from Ard Scoil Rís, Ennis Road, Limerick. Their project had three sections: a mobile Mapping App for schools; a Capital Asset Management Fund and a Financial Education App
Intermediate Category – Pocket Know – Alex Goodison from Coláiste Iosaef, Kilmallock, who created a Revision App for second level students
Junior Category – K9 Carers – Tommy Quinlivan, Patrick Murrihy and Alex Erswell from Scoil Mhuire agus Ide, Newcastle West, who created a Dog Nutritional Package
They will now represent Limerick in the National Finals in May.
The awards are in their 15th year and are run by the Local Enterprise Office Limerick as a way of helping students to grasp real life skills associated with running a real enterprise including working as part of a team, managing production and finances, organising a sales and marketing campaign and liaising directly with customers, judges and the media.
Deputy Mayor of the City and County of Limerick Cllr Noel Gleeson said: “I am truly impressed at the very high standards of work and commitment that all the students have put into this year’s programme. It is quite evident walking around the exhibition that students have embraced the aims of the programme and have certainly put their thinking caps on, resulting in some highly innovative and creative projects. I am hugely inspired by the amazing work the Student Enterprise Programme does in arming young people of Limerick and around the country with the skills that prepare you for the real world. From what I’ve seen here today, we will have very successful entrepreneurs in the future, which will be of benefit to everyone.”
Eamon Ryan, Head of Enterprise with LEO Limerick praised all those who took part: “We have seen some amazing and truly innovative projects in this year’s awards. I would like to add my congratulations to the winners and wish them all the best in the National Finals, but also to all the students who have taken part in the programme this year. Building on the success of the last fifteen years, the Student Enterprise Programme is growing in popularity every year and our local schools are very committed to supporting youth entrepreneurship. Princ-ipals, teachers, boards of management and importantly, the student entrepreneurs themselves deserve huge credit for their dedication, innovation and hard work.  Working in close partnership with local schools across the city and county, LEO Limerick is helping to nurture our next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders.”

At a glance:
Senior Category – 4th to 6th years including Transition Year.
Intermediate Category – 2nd and 3rd years.
Junior Category – 1st years.
20 schools across Limerick city and county participated in 2016/17 academic year.
581 students attended the launch in September 2016.
1,187 students participating – 698 boys, 489 girls.
865 senior student, 105 intermediate, 217 juniors.
Total of 154 projects – 102 senior, 17 intermediate, 35 junior.
Final Exhibition had a total of 46 stands – 31 senior, 7 intermediate, 8 junior.
51 support visits provided to schools.
Nationally there are over 22,000 second level students participating.

The winners will be competing with hundreds of other student entrepreneurs from all over Ireland in Croke Park at the 15th Annual Student Enterprise Awards National Finals on May 3rd.
Further information around the Student Enterprise Programme is available from www.student enterprise.ie and by sear-ching #studententerprise on social media.
The Local Enterprise Offices are co-funded by the Irish Government and the European Regional Development Fund 2014-2020.