Youth Entrepreneurial Awards night in Shearwater Ballinasloe 9th March

This year’s BEST Competition has attracted a total of 121 entries from the  four schools participating – Scoil Mhuire and Garbally College, Ballinasloe, Holy Rosary Mountbellew, and  Presentation College Headford.
The 13 finalists who made it through the initial stage of the competition in November battled it out again in the most recent stage of the competition, in the hope of winning the annual entrepreneurial competition and of course claiming the top prize of €1,000 for the winning project or group.
The Dragon’s Den stage of the competition took place at Western Automation on February 25th  and was the final chance for the 13 finalists to impress the judges with their projects. The students presented detailed proposals on their projects to a panel of judges including John Power, Carmel Dooley, Gerry Kelly and Pat Ward.
According to John Power, a judge on this year’s panel, ‘’the 13 local projects impressed all of the judges with both quality and preparation’’.
The judges have had a number of meetings since February 25th  to select the winners, due to be revealed at the awards night on March 9th  in the Shearwater Hotel.
The awards ceremony will commence at 8.00pm sharp and the public are invited to attend in support of the talented youth.
The 13 finalists who will have their projects on display in the Shearwater hotel from 6.00 pm are:

1. Dean Connell of Holy Rosary College
2. Matthew Geraghty of Holy Rosary College
3. Andrea Delaney of Holy Rosary College
4. Mark Fitzpatrick of Holy Rosary College
5. Jared Mullin, Cathal Roddy, Nessan Leahy of Pres. College Headford
6. Jessica Burke of Ardscoil Mhuire
7. Orla Madden, Abbie Cunningham, Clodagh Powell of Ardscoil Mhuire
8. Jane Corbett of Ardscoil Mhuire
9. Megan Noone & Leah Hogarty of Ardscoil Mhuire
10. Rachel Whyte & Ailbhe Hanlon of Ardscoil Mhuire
11. Laura Finn, Aine Galvin, Blanaid Fenton of Ardscoil Mhuire
12. Brianna Rice of Ardscoil Mhuire
13. Gerard Colleran of Garbally College

The aim of   BEST is to promote an entrepreneurial spirit in the next generation of Ballinasloe youth and is proudly sponsored by  Ballinasloe Enterprise Centre and Ballinasloe Credit Union and is also supported by Bank of Ireland Headford and Rothwell Staunton Auctioneers.
For further information contact Lyn Donnelly in Ballinasloe Enterprise Centre on 0909646516.

2015 BEST Finalists