The road to Dublin to represent your county in an All Ireland is a well worn one when you are from Kerry!
Nevertheless four first year students that comprise ‘Safety Studs’ enterprise group from Presentation Castleisland were as excited this week about travelling that route as anyone could be.
The Student Enterprise Programme started with approximately 29,000 students, so it was a massive achievement in itself to reach the national final.
Pres Students in the Top Tier
Following their county title win, the girls are now in the top 1% of student entrepreneurs in the country.
Excitement reached fever pitch on Wednesday when the invitation arrived from Ryan Tubridy and the Late Late Show to appear on this Friday night’s show.
Only four teams were chosen to appear on the show and Safety Studs members, Jan-eve Browne, Mairéad Walsh, Rachel Deniel and Clodagh O’Sullivan were among them.
Developed in Covid Restriction Era
Their project, Safety Studs is an idea they developed in reaction to Covid restrictions which meant the closure of dressing rooms in sports pitches.
They created a pair of waterproof sports footwear that protects the studs/spikes on footwear from damage and also protects the end user.
The product is made 99% from reused wellies. This innovative thinking is the reason why these students have excelled at county and national level.
No Stranger to the Road
Their teacher Pierce Dargan being a Kilkenny man is also no stranger to the road to Dublin for All Irelands and he has won the Most Enterprising Teacher title on a number of occasions and the school has won 25 county titles and six national titles in the past six years.
The Enterprise National Final takes place today, Friday at 2.30pm, so all fingers are crossed for a win for Presentation Castleisland.
I’m sure the viewing figures for the Late Late Show from the Castleisland area will be off the charts this Friday night!
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