Two students from Portlaoise CBS were crowned the overall winners at the Laois Student Enterprise Awards this afternoon.
Conor and Ross Dunne impressed the judges with their project Mooving.ie.
The TY students’ victory ensured that Portlaoise CBS retained the title following David Reddin and Johnny Phelan’s win last year.
Conor and Ross are the sons of John Dunne who has owned Hume Auctioneers since 1999.
The idea for Mooving.ie came from working with their dad where they noticed a particular need.
When people are buying or moving home, they often require the services of solicitors, painters, surveyors etc and Mooving.ie is the one stop shop for all of that.
Ross said: “Mooving.ie is an online leads referral system for all services needed for moving house, be it auctioneer, solicitor, painter, floral painter, you think of it, we have it on the website.
“It’s as simple as just a few clicks, go and search it up and then you’ll be listed in front of you of all the services you need.”
Conor said: “We were doing work experience over the summer with our parents who are auctioneers.
“So they were doing a viewing and then the couple who were viewing were not from the area and they didn’t know the likes of snaggers and solicitors that they needed in the process of moving home.
“They asked our parents for a list of names and they couldn’t really think, they only had one or two names off the top of their heads, so we thought well sure we can make a website and have them all, everyone we could get in the county onto the website.
“We were still getting started but we then got a website developed and since made 37 sales in the space of four days.”
The lads also thank their teachers, Ms Moore and Ms Lynch, for all their help so far.
Ross said: “Ms Moore and Ms Lynch have been an immense help.
“We took our time getting going and only for their encouragement, we wouldn’t be here today.”
The competition was judged by Bernie Everard, Jackie Carroll, Justin Kearns, Brian Kelly and Mary McIntyre.
The event was MC’d by Eimear Ní Bhraonáin with Sive Wood of Bean Around the special guest while Laois County Council were represented by Cathaoirleach Padraig Fleming and CEO Michael Rainey.
A total of 47 projects made the Laois final with Mountmellick Community School, Mountrath Community School, Heywood CS, Portlaoise College, Dunamase College, Scoil Chrost Ri and Portlaoise CBS all represented.
They finished ahead of Retro Jerseys of Mountrath Community School.
The group, made up of Annie Fitzpatrick, Aoibheann O’Rourke, Niamh Gorman and Orla Carroll, designed and sold GAA jerseys.
While ButterYouBooks of Sean Ryan and David Wajrak from Portlaoise CBS was third.
The Intermediate Award went to Re-Heart from Scoil Chriost Ri while Key and Clay of Portlaoise College claimed Junior success.
They will now go on to represent Laois at the national final.
SEE ALSO – Death occurs of well-known Portlaoise man Andy Molloy
