A GLOW-IN-THE-DARK SLIOTAR has taken the top prize at this year’s Student Enterprise Programme National Finals.

The GloBall was designed by 16-year-old Cathal Sweeney from Mungret Community College in Limerick.

It allows hurlers to speed train in the dark and the long winter evenings. The phosphorescent ball is rechargeable.

The young hurler, who plays for Mungret St Paul’s, saw that unless hurlers had access to floodlit areas in the winter months, training hours were significantly curtailed.

Cathal’s invention has already generated €40,000 in sales over the last four months.

He was awarded first place at the Student Enterprise Programme National Finals, which were held today.

The runners-up in the senior category were students from the Patrician Academy in Mallow, Co Cork, who invented Crius AI, a 360-degree workflow automation tool for cafés and restaurants.

The other runners-up, from St Muirdach’s College in Mayo, also used AI to make GradeMate, a platform that grades coursework based on state examination standards.

There were also awards for Intermediate (2nd and 3rd Year) and Junior (1st Year) categories.

Aodhan Finegan and Leon Egan from St Patrick's Classical School Navan, Meath, whose invented Smart Shovel Photocall Ireland Photocall Ireland

The intermediate section was won by St Patrick’s Classical School in Navan, who invented Smart Shovel. The Smart Shovel has depth markers along the blade and shaft for more accurate usage.

Comeragh College in Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary, also came runner-up in this section for their bespoke hurleys. 

The other runners-up in the section were from Moyne Community School in Longford. Their business, Fern and Foam, makes handmade soap from recycled materials.

Paddy Lynch and Tom McDonald, students from St Mary's CBS Portlaoise who invented I Can Photocall Ireland Photocall Ireland

The winner of the Junior award was I Can, a bottle and can collection and recycling service from St Mary’s CBS in Portlaoise.

The runner-up prizes went to West Cork Skies, an online digital memory resource made by Mount St Michael, Rosscarbery, Co Cork, and ReCharg’d, a natural gel that aids recovery after exercise, which was made by Coláiste Abhainn Rí in Kilkenny.

Over 30,000 students took part in the entrepreneurship competition this year.

Alan Dillon, minister of state for small business, attended today’s award ceremony. He said: “This is one for the great days for Irish entrepreneurship in the country. 

“These are students who have come up with brilliant ideas and forged them into businesses, making sales and understanding and learning the skills it takes to become an entrepreneur,” Dillon said.

Dillon added that he hopes they’ll become the start-up leaders of the future.