Biz whizz Finglas students

STUDENTS from Finglas proved they really are the business at the Foróige Youth Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.

Joseph Keogh, Mark Ball, Lee McNally, Ryan Chaney, Craig Fogarty and Adam Byrne from Beneavin De La Salle all reached the finals and proudly displayed their business flair at the awards held at the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, Kildare Street.

Ryan, Craig and Adam were at the final after impressing with their company, Hurley Holders, while Joseph, Mark and Lee proudly showed how their Reading Aid business works.

The aim of Hurley Holders is to make quality handmade holders that can be fixed to a wall to hold hurleys and sliotars.

The holders will keep homes, clubs and schools clutter free and reduce the number of broken or misplaced hurleys. 

Reading Aid is designed to help people with dyslexia improve their reading.

The product is made from wood and has coloured plastic in the middle. Customers can choose what colour plastic they have in the middle. Yellow is recommended to support those with dyslexia. 

It was a great achievement to reach the finals in a competition that attracted 1,200 other young entrepreneurs from around the country.

Seán Campbell, CEO Foróige, said the competition would benefit all those who took part.

“The Foróige NFTE Entrepreneurship Programme has multiple positive impacts on the young people who take part in it,” he explained.

“Career aspirations increase; interest in attending college increases; business knowledge increases; leadership behaviour increases; and a belief that attaining goals is within their control significantly increases. 

“Empowering young people is what Foróige does, and we are more than proud of everything the young people here today have achieved.”

The companies at the awards represented Leitrim, Donegal, Sligo, Laois, Offaly, Dublin, Cork, Tipperary, Waterford and Westmeath.

Rachel McPartlin from Leitrim, with Rachel’s Heavenly Homemades, was named Youth Entrepreneur of the Year 2018 for her company that produces gluten free goods.