Údarás na Gaeltachta – Clár Comhlachta Regional Final Winners Announced
Two emerging enterprises founded by local students in the Cork and Kerry Gaeltacht areas have been crowned joint winners of the Údarás na Gaeltachta – Clár Comhlachta Munster Regional Final.
After an intense day of competition, kindly hosted in Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne, ‘Nuair a bhí mé Óg’ from Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne, An Daingean, Co. Kerry and ‘Scrubs agus Scíth’ from Scoil Mhuire, Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh, Co. Cork were chosen to progress and represent their region in the National Final of the Údarás na Gaeltachta – Clár na gComhlachtaí.
Students from Scoil Mhuire, Béal Átha nGhaorthaidh, accepting their prize from Údarás na Gaeltachta Regional Manager Dónal Ó Liatháin and Judges Muireann Nic Giolla Ruaidh and Máire Ní Shé
Clár na gComhlachta is a hands-on business learning experience developed and delivered in partnership with Junior Achievement Ireland (JAI) and is taught by business volunteers through the Irish language to students in Gaeltacht regions. 500 Transition Year students from Gaeltacht regions in Cork, Galway, Donegal, Kerry Mayo, Meath & Waterford have participated this year and challenged themselves to create, operate and manage their very own business. The programme provided students with numerous opportunities for the development and reinforcement of important business, academic and leadership skills, which will be invaluable to them in the future. The participants in Scoil Mhuire, Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh were guided throughout the programme by local business volunteer, Nóra Hayes from Bárd na nGleann.
The judging panel comprising Máire Ní Shé, Údarás na Gaeltachta, and Muireann Nic Giolla Ruaidh, Scoil Chócaireacht an Daingin (Dingle Cookery School), were thoroughly impressed with the entrepreneurial flair and particularly the level of preparation invested by the students, their teachers and business mentors to ensure they presented their enterprises in the best possible light.
It was obvious that the teams had taken full advantage of the opportunity to showcase their entrepreneurial talent. The Regional Final is a real test of nerve as each team must participate in an interview with the judging panel and also make a public presentation in front of their fellow student entrepreneurs, the judges and other invited guests. Each of the young entrepreneurs rose to the challenge of having their business acumen tested by the panel of judges and represented their schools and families with great distinction.
Údarás na Gaeltachta Regional Manager, Dónal Ó Liatháin commented: “It was fantastic to witness such enterprising young people at the Údarás na Gaeltachta – Clár Comhlachta Regional Final. Their knowledge and enthusiasm for their business ideas indicates that enterprise in the Gaeltacht areas is in safe hands. Údarás na Gaeltachta are proud to help promote student entrepreneurship and I’m sure we will be seeing more of these young entrepreneurs in the future.”