Launch of ‘CLON’TREPRENEUR’ Thursday 24th May in Clonakilty
Deputy Simon Coveney, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine attended the recent launch of ‘CLON’TREPRENEUR’, Clonakilty Chamber of Commerce’s newest initiative, aimed at encouraging and attracting forward thinking innovators with ideas that will stimulate and nurture local employment. The Chamber expects to attract considerable interest from the best of West Cork business and industry. This unique event, with no less than Irish broadcaster, journalist and rugby union pundit, Mr. George Hook as Master of Ceremonies, will take place at:The Fernhill House Hotel, Clonakilty on Thursday 24th May 2012 at 8 p.m.
The Chamber has amassed a substantial prize package of services and cash valued in excess 15,000 Euro. The lucky winner will have to convince a panel of West Cork Business Warhorses that their business proposal is worthy of being crowned CLON’TREPRENEUR of the year for 2012.
Among the adjudicating West Cork Warhorses will be such notables as Colette Twomey of Clonakilty Black Pudding, Eugene Scally of Scally’s SuperValu, Diarmuid O’Sullivan of Irish Yogurts and the most recent Australian to become a West Cork Warhorse, Mr. Bill Liao founder of the German based social network Xing.
The package of 15,000 will consist of cash and professional supports from legal and accounting experts, together with further expertise offered by West Cork Enterprise Board.
Minister Coveney said that he “warmly applauded the chamber’s initiative in launching the CLON’TREPRENEUR of the Year award”. The Minister added that” it is great to see this level of community spirit and involvement with business leaders giving of their time and energy to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation in Clonakilty. It is precisely this community spirit across many diverse areas that has built Clonakilty into the community it is today and the community that it is known to be throughout the country”. “Clonakilty has an outstanding reputation both home and abroad and it never fails when it comes to innovative and imaginative ideas such as this” he added.
Chamber personnel from various local businesses such as The Carbery Group, Irish Yogurts , Scally’s Supervalu, Clonakilty Black Pudding, AIB etc., have been involved in the Chamber’s task force that has pieced together this West Cork initiative.
Heading up the Chamber’s task force is Mairead O’ Gorman of the AIB Clonakilty. Speaking at the launch she said that she was very excited about the event and that there had already been huge interest shown by both the general public and business people of the town. “We’ve assembled a great team that has put this project together in just a matter of weeks after it was first mooted”, she said and added “It’s a very popular format of local entrepreneurs pitching their proposals to the really serious Warhorses from the West Cork industrial and commercial sectors”. “It will make for a great evening’s entertainment for the audience” and she quipped “but I expect, it’ll be a wee bit tougher for the CLON’TREPRENEURS”
Application Forms for the competition can be found online at
The competition is open to anyone who has an idea or business plan that will bring an economic benefit to the local area. Application forms are available at
http://www.clonakilty.ie/index.php/site09visitors/news_detail/clontrepreneur_of_the_year_for_2012/
Tickets for the main event on the 24th May are €10 Euros each and can be booked by emailing Clonakilty Chamber of Commerce at
chamber@clonakilty.ie or by phoning the Chamber’s office at 023-8858910 and leaving a name and number.Completed forms must reach Clonakilty Chamber of Commerce no later than the 11th May 2011. Forms can also be requested by emailing Clonakilty Chamber of Commerce at chamber@clonakilty.ie.