Gaeilge
Congratulations to Carndonagh Community School on winning Donegal ETB’s 2016 Enterprise Day for schools and Youthreach centres in LYIT on Wednesday 19 October. Second and third place went to Crana College, Buncrana and Rosses Community School.
Approximately two hundred young people from seventeen schools and two Youthreach centres from across the county participated in the event which involved each team developing a product on which they were judged in a Dragon’s Den-type set up. Teams were given a business mentor and an LYIT business studies student to guide them throughout the day. Entrepreneur Jenni Timony spoke to participants in the morning on entrepreneurship success and failure along with Gerard Grant, Vice President of Pramerica. Another entrepreneur, Ian Harkin, one of the co-founders of the award winning Lottie Dolls company, spoke to participants on how to pitch a business idea. After teams pitched their ideas to the judges, the final three teams then pitched to all participants. The judges found it very difficult to pick an outright winner due to the high standard of work presented to them.
The participating schools and Youthreach centres were Abbey Vocational School, Donegal Town; Carndonagh Community School; Colaiste Ailigh, Letterkenny; Colaiste Chineal Eoghan, Buncrana; Colaiste Cholmcille, Ballyshannon; Crana College, Buncrana; Deele College, Raphoe; Errigal College, Letterkenny; Finn Valley College, Stranorlar; Gairmscoil Chu Uladh, Ballinamore; Gairmscoil Mhic Diarmada, Arranmore; Magh Ene College, Bundoran; Mulroy College, Milford; Rosses Community School; Scoil Mhuire, Buncrana; Youthreach Buncrana/Glengad and Youthreach Gortahork.
Donegal ETB and the organising committee would like to extend a huge thank you to all students, teachers, Gartan OETC staff, Foróige (NFTE), Lee Gooch and LYIT for assisting with the day. Particular thanks is extended to the business mentors and judges who gave up their day to support the event: Martin Davies, Prudential; Louise Brogan and Colette Callaghan, DLDC; Sandra Mc Gettigan, AIB; Paul Skelly, Permanent TSB; Ken MacKenzie, Pramerica; Evelyn Mc Glynn, Evelyn McMarketing!; Ray Winters, Smyths Feeds; Damian Dowds, Inishowen Independent; Helen Doherty, Portsalon Luxury Camping; Colin Mc Ateer, Green Coffins; Michael Black, Optimal Fitness; Marcus McClintock, BM Blinds; John McColgan, McColgan Financial Services Ltd; Ultan Faherty, LYIT; Gary Duffy, Foróige; Sadie Kelly, Schools Completion; Aisling Cunningham, Powder n’ Pout; Peter Cullinane, Cullinane Steel Architects; Toni Forrester, Letterkenny Chamber of Commerce; Mark Bundschu, Bookfinder Ltd; Stephen Maguire, Donegal Daily; Patricia Hill, Stateside; John Breslin, Highland Radio and Mary Crawford, The Right Angle.
This is the third year of this event which saw double the number of entries as 2015. Further information and photos of the day can be found on Donegal ETB’s Twitter account (@DonegalETB #ETBEnterprise16).