Arklow Students to Represent Wicklow at National Student Enterprise Finals
Students from CBS Arklow are set to represent County Wicklow at the upcoming Student Enterprise Programme National Final after impressing judges at the county awards held in Arklow last month.
The Wicklow County Final took place on 26th February at the Arklow Bay Hotel, where around 120 students from 18 schools gathered to showcase their business ideas. Over the course of the six-month programme, more than 1,400 students from 24 schools across Wicklow took part in developing and presenting their own mini-enterprises.
Among the standout performers were several Arklow students who will now progress to the national stage in May.
In the Junior Category, Edmund Clune and Howard McGrath from CBS Arklow will represent Wicklow with their business “Marble Mayhem.”
The pair created nostalgic wooden marble games designed to encourage children to step away from screens and enjoy hands-on play. The games are designed to improve hand-eye coordination while offering an interactive and fun experience.
CBS Arklow also secured the county’s Intermediate Category place at the national finals.
Student Noah Strahan impressed judges with his business “Deck the Halls,” which produces handmade steel Christmas decorations fitted with LED lighting. The decorations are designed to be durable, reusable and customisable, offering a long-lasting alternative to disposable festive decorations.
L-R Cllr. Melanie Corrigan, Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council; Ciara Garvey, Teacher; student Noah Strahan; Peter Somers, Principal of CBS Arklow; Vibeke Delahunt, Head of Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office Wicklow; and Emer O’Gorman, Chief Executive of Wicklow County Council. Picture – Jill O’Meara Photography
Representing Wicklow in the Senior Category will be Elodie O’Brien and Ema Marcu from Woodbrook College with their business “Bin Better.”
Their product is a bokashi-based food waste bin designed to help households manage food waste in a more sustainable way. Using a natural fermentation process, the system can break down food scraps — including items not suitable for traditional composting — without unpleasant odours or mess.
The county final saw students present their mini-companies through exhibition stands while a judging panel assessed their products, commercial potential and presentation.
Some finalists also took part in a Dragon’s Den-style pitch competition, presenting their ideas to judges and an audience.
Special guests attending the event included television presenter Anna Daly, Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council Cllr. Melanie Corrigan, Chief Executive Emer O’Gorman, and guest speaker Dáire Bohan, founder of Bura Games and a Roblox developer from Greystones.
A range of additional awards were also presented on the day, recognising achievements such as Best Innovation, Best Sales and Marketing, Best Display Stand, Sustainability, Intellectual Property and Best Presentation.
The Student Enterprise Programme is funded by the Government through Enterprise Ireland and delivered by the network of Local Enterprise Offices nationwide. The initiative encourages students to create, design and market their own businesses while learning real-world entrepreneurial skills.
Since its launch in 2003, more than 380,000 students across Ireland have participated in the programme.
Students representing Wicklow will now go forward to compete against finalists from across the country at the National Student Enterprise Finals in May.
Pictures by Jill O’Meara Photography
