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25 Sept 2025
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25 Sept 2025
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Eva-Marie Whelan and Katie Hobson-Shaw from Presentation Secondary School, Kilkenny,
Two young entrepreneurs from Kilkenny have been crowned the overall winners of the Foróige Youth Entrepreneur of the Year 2025 for their business, Bee Lush
Eva-Marie Whelan and Katie Hobson-Shaw, from Presentation Kilkenny, brought their unique business to the national stage at the Foróige NFTE Youth Entrepreneur of the Year Awards 2025, held at Croke Park on Thursday.
The prestigious event gathered over 120 young people and 24 youth-led businesses developed through the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) programme.
The girls won out following a closely contested final against seven other top youth driven businesses from around the country. Born from a family beekeeping legacy, Bee Lush crafts nourishing lip and lash products using Irish honey - bringing nature and self-care together.-1747311556686.jpeg)
Katie Hobson-Shaw from Bee Lush explained the impact the programme has on the team: “I honestly can’t believe it — we’re so proud and grateful to have won. Being part of the NFTE programme has given us the confidence to believe in our ideas and actually bring them to life. We’ve learned so much and met so many inspiring people along the way. This is just the beginning - we’re really excited to see what comes next!”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE KILKENNY SCHOOLS NEWS
Kilkenny was also represented in the Best Social Enterprise category by Mathilde Beubry and Amy Bergin, with Bounce Back Recovery, Presentation Secondary School, Kilkenny — a reflective journal supporting mental health and injury recovery through structured writing and peer stories.
Bounce Back Recovery: Mathilde Beubry and Amy Bergin, Presentation Secondary School
The awards recognised innovation, resilience and entrepreneurship with categories for Best Business, Best Innovation, and Best Social Enterprise.
“Year after year, NFTE proves just how powerful youth potential really is. The creativity, courage and commitment we’ve seen today is inspiring,” said Odhrán O’Mahony, Chairperson of Foróige. “Programmes like this don’t just teach business skills—they help young people see themselves differently.”
Over 6,100 young people from 24 counties took part in this year’s NFTE programme, supported by 260+ trained educators, youth workers and volunteers.
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