Five winners to represent Kilkenny in Student Enterprise Awards national final

Students from Colaiste Eamann Rís in Callan and Kilkenny College will represent Kilkenny in the national finals of the Student Enterprise Awards in May.

They emerged victorious despite the high standard of competition at the Kilkenny Student Enterprise Programme county final in the Lyrath Estate Hotel yesterday. More than 140 students from nine local secondary schools displayed their projects and impressed judges with details of their business reporting, innovation, market research, risk management and finances.

Senior category winners were Liam Foot and Tom Donald, from Kilkenny College with their project, Tree Ring Coasters. The laser-cut coasters are made from discarded wood and are lacquered to make them water and stain proof.

In the Intermediate category, Mark Ahern from Colaiste Eamann Rís, Callan was awarded first prize with his innovative business G Sock Ltd – a sports sock that fits and secures a shin guard protector inside. In the Junior category the winners were Luca Harris and Pa Gibbs, also from the Callan school, with their business Too Hot to Handle, making and selling coffee cup holders from fabric to prevent your hands from getting burned when holding take away tea/coffee.

For more coverage of the projects and three pages of pictures from the day, see next week's Kilkenny People.