YEP Award Winners Announced
THURSDAY MAY 5th 2011 - A 15 year old Dingle schoolgirl has scooped the top prize in the fourth Young Entrepreneur Awards in Killarney County Kerry tonight. Marie ni Mhairtin, a student of Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne in Dingle won the accolade of Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2011 for her 'Safe Scrub Sprayer', a spot weed sprayer for tractors activated from inside the tractor making spraying safer and healthier. The device operates from the front of the tractor allowing the farmer to adjust the height and angle efficient spraying, resulting in considerable cost savings.
Marie and her teacher will enjoy a prize of a trip to the US visiting some of the world's leading technology companies and entrepreneurs. It is the second time in three years that a student from Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne has won the top prize. Teachers Trish Heneghan & Orna Dunlevy will share in the honour that Marie's achievement brings to the school. Cisco Systems Marketing Executive Monique Meche and Murphy's Ice Cream co-founder Sean Murphy mentored Marie and her classmates.
The third level prize of €5000 Euro was won by a Wild Trex, a business promoting educational and fun walks illustrating the flora and fauna of County Kerry to tourists and locals. Maurice O'Connor, David Norris and Louise Overy are studying a Wildlife Biology and Entrepreneurship Start Your Own Business course at the Institute of Technology Tralee. The group plan to launch their business this summer.
The winners accepted their awards in a dazzling ceremony hosted by Collette Fizpatrick and George Hook with over 800 guests at the Malton Hotel in Killarney. The event is available for replay on www.youngentrepreneur.ie
The Young Entrepreneur Programme is an initiative of Shannon Development IT Tralee and Tweak.com. This year the programme is being delivered in association with LEADER. It's part of an ecosystem of initiatives to empower young people to consider entrepreneurship as a career. 2500 students have completed the programme over the past four years.
600 second and third level students participated in the programme this year. The winning projects were chosen from a total of 500 business plans submitted.
23 second level Schools from Kerry Cork and Limerick, and the Institute of Technology Tralee participated in the programme in which 32 local business people mentor each class giving feedback and criticism of their business plans.
This year for the first time, the 18 finalists exhibited their businesses at the event, giving guests an opportunity to get a close-up look what is involved. Two weeks ago the finalists presented their business plans to President Mary McAleese at a special ceremony in Aras An Uacharain in honour of the Young Entrepreneur Programme.
This year also saw the launch of a specially designed primary school version of the programme - the Junior Entrepreneur Programme which saw ten year olds creating and executing a business. The Junior Entrepreneur Programme was created in partnership with Mary Immaculate College. The winners - 5th class at St Clare's Girls National School in Kenmare were special guests at tonight's Awards
Watch video from the Awards Ceremony here
