Enterprising students showcase their companies at Carrick-on-Suir school's market day

Pictured above: Competition judge Tina Mulhearne of Tipperary Local Enterprise Office with members of the Cast & Catch company Craig O’Donnell, Luke Bolger and Cian Norris, who were the overall winners, and teacher Mr Ronan Guilfoyle at Edmund Rice Secondary School’s Transition Year Market Day

Three students who set up a mini-company selling handmade fishing hooks they created from melted spoons were the overall winners of the Transition Year enterprise competition run at Edmund Rice Secondary School in Carrick-on-Suir.

The aptly named Cast & Catch company set up and run by Luke Bolger, Craig O’Donnell and Cian Norris will represent the school in the Tipperary Student Enterprise Competition final in Thurles on March 6.

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Joining them at the county final will be two other prize winning mini-companies at Edmund Rice Secondary School’s Transition Year Market Day on January 29.

They are the Sustainability Award winning company called Sustainable Swing run by Fionn Power, Ronan Knox, Rhys Prenderville, Ned Gahan and Sam O’Keeffe and the Best Innovation & Concept award winner called One Link run by Sean Flynn, Oisín Hade and Evan Walsh.

The student operators of Sustainable Swing collect, wash, value and re-sell used golf balls while One Link’s founders provide website design and an employee tracking system for businesses.

They weren’t the only mini-companies to win awards in the internal school contest. The Best Interview prize was awarded to Michael Smith who set up the car valeting service Show Shine Valeting and Abdullah Chowdhury who won the Best Marketing & Sales prize for his Architectural Design Company.

A total of 12 student run mini-companies were showcased at the TY Market Day. The exhibition was the culmination of over four months of work by the students in setting up and running the enterprises.

Tipperary Local Enterprise Office Business Advisor Tina Mulhearne, Business judge the contest.

ERSS Business Studies teacher Ronan Guilfoyle paid tribute to the students for their hard work and congratulated the award winners.

“Our students demonstrated outstanding innovation, professionalism and drive, from unique product ideas to impressive marketing strategies and sustainability initiatives.

“The standard was exceptionally high, making the judging no easy task. We are incredibly proud of all our TY students. The future of business is certainly bright,” Mr Guilfoyle added.

Judge Tina Mulhearne of Tipperary Local Enterprise Office with the winners of hte Best Innovation & Concept award One Link, a business management tool company run by Sean Flynn, Oisín Hayde and Evan Walsh. ERSS teacher Ronan Guilfoyle is pictured on far right.

Competition judge Tina Mulhearne of Tipperary Local Enterprise Office pictured with the Sustainable Swing company members Sam O’Keeffe, Fionn Power, Ronan Knox, Rhys Prenderville and Ned Gahan, who won the Sustainability Award, and teacher Cian Cullen.

Check out this article and more photos from Edmund Rice Secondary School's Market Day in this week's edition of The Nationalist now on sale in local shops.

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