Eleven teenage entrepreneurs from three local schools have won a place representing Louth at the Student Enterprise Programme National Finals in Croke Park on Friday, May 3rd.
The students were all competing at the Louth Final, which was held at the Carrickdale Hotel. An estimated 1100 students from 17 schools took part in the annual programme locally.
In the Junior Category, the student representing Louth at the National Finals in Croke Park is: Sarah Byrne from The Locker Doctor at Dundalk Grammar School.
In the Intermediate Category, Isabel O'Toole, Julie Greene, Eimear Brennan, Aoibhinn Comer and Niamh Cummins of Movie Night Delights at Sacred Heart School, Drogheda will be representing the county in Croke Park.
In the Senior Category of the competition, Louth will be represented on May 3rd by Alanna Tinnelly, Amy Ward, Ciara Sharkey, Fausta Razmaite and Sarah White from The Bin Bungee at Coláiste Rís, Dundalk.
The County has a successful track record in the student enterprise competition, including Makes Cents from Sacred Heart School, Drogheda who won the Best Commercial Potential Award in the Intermediate Category at the National Finals in May 2018.
Thomas McEvoy, Head of Enterprise, of Local Enterprise Office Louth congratulated the students, saying "We have a very successful student enterprise programme here in Louth, with over 1100 students from 17 local schools taking part this year. Our national finalists are excellent ambassadors for the programme and we wish them the very best of luck in Croke Park on May 3rd."
He continued: "What our students are learning from the programme is that with the right supports and encouragement, they can take an idea from the classroom and develop it into a real-life business. The skills they learn along the way, such as business planning, market research, selling and team-work, will help them become more entrepreneurial throughout their future careers".
Speaking at the County Final, Liam Reilly, Cathaoirleach of Louth County Council, commended the students attending the County Final on their hard work and the high quality of the business proposals on display, saying "we hope the programme has given all a positive flavour of enterprise and entrepreneurship" before extending best wishes for "what looks like a very bright future for all".