WEST Cork students once again showed their smarts at this year’s Student Enterprise Programme Regional Final, with a number of projects winning awards at the highly-competitive event.
Among this year’s winners were specialty Irish bird food, a lifestyle website, and custom colouring books.
Lianna Ganda and Anna Morets, Transition Year students from Edmund Rice College, Carrigaline, with their business project Totes. The team showcased their entrepreneurial spirit at the Student Enterprise Programme Regional Final, hosted by Local Enterprise Office South Cork at Munster Technological University (MTU) Bishopstown Campus on 25 March 2025. Students from 22 secondary schools across the South Cork region showcased their creativity and business skills at the event, which celebrated the next generation of entrepreneurs. Almost 80 student teams competed for 12 awards and the opportunity to represent South Cork at the National Finals. (Photos: Joleen Cronin)
Over 28,000 students enter the Student Enterprise Programme each year, which is run by the network of Local Enterprise Offices across the country.
The programme gives secondary school students the chance to set up and develop their own business in the same way any entrepreneur does, from coming up with a business idea to marketing, producing a business plan and selling their product or service.
‘It has been a lot of work,’ Muireann Kelly of St Mary’s secondary school in Macroom told The Southern Star. ‘It’s been a long process but really worth it in the end.’
The Senior Category prizewinners Sinéad D’Sousa and Muireann Kerry from St. Mary’s Secondary School, Macroom, with their business Éan Bia.
Muireann and her Transition Year classmate Sinéad de Souza walked away from the final as senior overall winners for their business ‘Éan Bia’ – handmade, sustainable bird feeders which contain bird feed specifically designed for Irish garden songbirds.
‘We’ve both always loved feeding birds, but we noticed that when we were feeding them, they didn’t particularly love a lot of the suet cakes and balls that you can get in the supermarket, so we said maybe we should design our own ones that they might like,’ Muireann said.
Muireann and Sinéad split the tasks, like any good business partners.
‘Muireann mostly makes the products,’ Sinéad said. ‘Then I do the promotion and marketing, so it’s half-and-half. My personal interest is in social media, whereas Muireann is better with working with her hands.’
Alex Griffin, a 1st-year student from Coláiste Muire, Réalt na Mara, Crosshaven, with his project Heart of the Batter, inspired by his grandmother’s cousin of Lennox’s Chipper. Alex was awarded the Junior Entrepreneurial Journey prize at the Student Enterprise Programme Regional Final, hosted by Local Enterprise Office South Cork at Munster Technological University (MTU) Bishopstown Campus on 25 March 2025.
The pair will go on to represent the South Cork LEO in the national finals which are held in Mullingar on May 8th, but are also aiming higher: ‘We’re really passionate about it so we want to see where the competition could take us in the future.’ St Mary’s had brilliant success at the competition this year, and came away with €800 worth of prizes. Teachers Arlene O’Donoghue and Shane Galvin guided the students through the process, and said they were extremely proud of everyone, with a variety of businesses on show.
Pia El Asmar and Ciara Sheehan won Best Brand for their lifestyle website ‘Inspofleek’, which is was described as ‘your go-to for lifestyle inspiration’. The business combines a regularly updated website with trendy product sales, providing a unique platform for the target
audience.
Caoilín O'Donovan, a 1st-year student from Coláiste Muire, Réalt na Mara, Crosshaven, with her project Forbidden Pawetry. Caoilín was awarded the Junior Category prize at the Student Enterprise Programme Regional Final, hosted by Local Enterprise Office South Cork at Munster Technological University (MTU) Bishopstown Campus on 25 March 2025.
The Most Sustainable Business award went to Emily Mehigan, Clodagh Browne and Ciara Twohig for ‘Climate Cairde’, a business that provides climate workshops to primary level students, while Chloe Lehane, Rachel Twomey, Ruth Cotter, Róise O Connor and Hannah Griffin won Best Display for ‘Colour My Story’, which is a book designing company that makes personalised books combining colouring and reading aimed at children aged three to 12 to increase their literacy and creativity skills.
Ella Mathews, Olivia Connolly, and Bess O’Leary, 2nd-year students from Coláiste Muire, Réalt na Mara, Crosshaven, with their project Perfect Paws. The team was awarded the Intermediate Category prize at the Student Enterprise Programme Regional Final, hosted by Local Enterprise Office South Cork at Munster Technological University (MTU) Bishopstown Campus on 25 March 2025.
Other schools across West Cork had success on the day too, as both the intermediate and junior overall winners came from Coláiste Muire Realt na Mara in Crosshaven, with ‘Perfect Paws’ and ‘Forbidden Pawetry’ respectively.
Scoil Mhuire in Ballingeary took home the Social Star award for their business ‘Eochar Easca’, and Edmund Rice College in Carrigaline won Senior Runner Up for ‘Playproof’.
