Teenage entrepreneurs set to fly Limerick flag at national final

TEENAGE entrepreneurs from three local schools will fly the Treaty flag at this year’s student enterprise national final in May.

Desmond College students Malachy Wrenn and Aron O’Connor will contest the junior category at the Mullingar final.

Their project, pet slippers, as the name suggests, provides tiny footwear for cats, dogs and other household animals.

Nell McMahon of Golf Align, who attends the neighbouring Gaelcholaiste Ui Chonba in Newcastle West will be representing the county in the intermediate section.

She has developed a golfing aid, named Golf Align.

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Mungret Community College student Cathal Sweeney, who has come up with a glow-in-the-dark hurling sliotar is hoping for a national win in the senior category.

The 16-year-old, who has featured in Business Leader before, has already sold more than 1,000 of these balls across the country.

The final takes place on Thursday, May 7.

In order to qualify, the four young entrepreneurs had to get through the Limerick final of the contest, which was staged at the Castletroy Park Hotel.

Here, an estimated 750 students from secondary schools across the city and county took part in the annual programme.

Mike Cantwell, the head of enterprise at Local Enterprise Office in Limerick which organised the local final, said: “I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to all the students who took part in this year’s Student Enterprise Programme county final.

The standard of micro-enterprises on display was truly exceptional, and the level of innovation, creativity and hard work shown by these young entrepreneurs was incredibly impressive.”

Mr Cantwell paid tribute to parents, teachers and the school communities who supported the students throughout the enterprise programme.

“It is inspiring to see such strong potential among the next generation of business leaders. I hope many of today’s participants will go on to build successful businesses of their own and, in the future, return to the Local Enterprise Office as adults seeking LEO supports and grants,” he said.

The local students will be competing against hundreds of other young entrepreneurs from across Ireland in the national final.