Speakers inspire 400 West Cork students

Hundreds of transition year students across West Cork gathered at the annual Igniting Entrepreneurship event this week.

The event, hosted by the Local Enterprise Office for Cork North and West, was attended by 400 transition-year students at the Celtic Ross Hotel in Rosscarbery. Designed to inspire the region’s young minds, the event featured a diverse line-up of speakers from sport, business, and entrepreneurship.

World and European kickboxing champion and Total Kombat star, Tony Stephenson, was among the speakers. He shared his story of resilience and achievement. The Bantry man’s record-breaking, 15-second knockout of Bar Horvath at Total Kombat, in London’s O2 Arena last month, attracted 10m online views. He spoke about the importance of discipline, structure, and pursuing what you love.

Other speakers included Dylan Dunne, from Tech Start, who shared insights on launching and scaling innovative tech ventures; Olwyn Hanley, head of Brands, who discussed strategies for brand building and marketing; and Claire O’Sullivan, of WASI, a West Cork-based skin health brand, who recounted her entrepreneurial journey, and said that true success comes from passion and learning.

The Mayor of the County of Cork Mary Linehan-Foley said it is “so important to nurture entrepreneurial skills in young people”.

“We are never too old or too young to be inspired or change the course of our lives. Passion and drive open doors, and this event shows our young people what is possible,” said Ms Linehan Foley.

“I would also like to thank the teachers for their guidance and support. They play a critical role in helping students discover their strengths and realise their potential.”

The chief executive of Cork County Council, Moira Murrell, said the local authority is “proud to support this annual event, which plays a vital role in preparing the next wave of innovators and business leaders”.

“This generation will shape the future of our region,” said Ms Murrell.

“With the right mindset and supports, there is no limit to what they can achieve.”