Castleisland District Heritage has added an unusual item to its archive: a pair of Krawlies, protective knee socks for babies on the move. On the tag of the one-size cotton and nylon product is ‘Young Entrepreneur Winner.’[1]
The Young Entrepreneur Programme (YEP), aimed at 15-23 year olds in Kerry’s second and third level institutions, was initiated in 2007 by the Institute of Technology Tralee, Kerry Technology Park and the Tom Crean Centre.[2] The brainchild was Jerry Kennelly whose parents, the late Pádraig and Joan Kennelly, founded the Kerry’s Eye newspaper.[3]
The 16-year-old winner of the 2008/2009 programme was Aisling Ni Shúilleábhain, a student of Pobalscoil Corca Dhuibhne who had started her own business making Kiddie Krawlies, a range of kneepads for toddlers. Aisling was inspired (literally) by ‘a mother of invention’ – her aunt, who put old socks over her children’s trousers to stop them bruising their knees on the tiled floor.[4]
In 2011, another student of Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne, Marie Ni Mhairtin, with the help of her enterprising teachers, Trish Heneghan (Ui h-Eanacháin) and Orna Dunlevy, won the Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Her invention was the ‘Safe Scrub Sprayer’ for use on tractors. Marie’s father had become ill from spraying scrub with pesticides, the catalyst for Marie’s invention.[5]
In 2020, Ri na bhFocal, an Irish language board game invented by three Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne students, won the Clar na gComhlachtai competition and went forward to represent Ireland in the JA Europe Company of the Year Competition.[6] The game encourages ‘language learning and improvement of vocabulary skills in a fun, simple manner.’[7]
In 2023, a group of five students from Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne came up with another idea founded once again on the mother of invention – necessity. They devised a sports sock with a pocket for a gum-shield based on their own experience on the sportsfield. Their invention won the Clar na gComhlachtai national final in Connemara and the following year (2024), another group of five formed Glan go Glas with their invention of natural and eco-friendly cleaning products. They were first runner-up in the all-Europe GEN-E Junior Achievement Awards, not bad considering they were up against fifty-five other countries.[8]
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[1] Castleisland District Heritage archive reference IE CDH 259. [2] Kerryman, 26 September 2007. [3] ‘Another popular business initiative is the Kerry-based Young Entrepreneur Programme (YEP) which actively encourages company executives to act as mentors to second and third level students. The initiative was started by Jerry Kennelly, former boss of the photography company Stockbyte’ (Irish Independent, 21 October 2009). Further reference, ‘Picture perfect: What Jerry Kennelly did with all that Stockbyte money’ by Donal Lynch, Irish Independent, 23 August 2015. [4] Irish Examiner, 5 January 2010. [5] Full report, Irish Examiner, 6 May 2011. See https://theagrilife.wordpress.com/ [6] Killarney Today.com, 15 July 2020, ‘Board game could prove a winner for Kerry.’ [7] https://rinabhfocal.wordpress.com/ [8] Full report in Kerryman, 10 July 2024.
