Matthew McVicar, a Monaghan student who developed CopperCase, an antimicrobial case to store face masks, has taken the top prize at the Student Enterprise Programme national finals. 

The 16-year-old student at St Macartan’s College noticed the excessive amount of face masks being disposed of in his community and created a copper case to solve the problem. His product is now being sold in pharmacies.

McVicar (pictured) said: “Just three minutes in a CopperCase and your mask is free from Covid-19 and other viruses and bacteria. Hundreds of studies have proven the antimicrobial effects of copper and CopperCase is one of only seven companies in Europe who have authorisation to place copper on the market as a biocide.”

Almost 30,000 students took part in the contest, involving 72 different enterprises, which began last September.

In Association with

In the Intermediate Category, the first prize was taken by T-Snappi from Summerhill College in Sligo. Their apron with snap-on tea towel aims to address all sorts of kitchen mishaps. 

In the Junior Category, the top award went to Go Green Now from Salerno Secondary School in Galway.  They created a ‘go green now’ pack which includes a tree kit with Coillte-supplied high quality acorns. 

LEO eduction committee chair Michael Nevin commented: “It’s no surprise to see the challenges thrown up by the pandemic featuring in many of the businesses, and the ongoing willingness for students to create businesses that not only sell services or products, but help address ongoing issues in society. We see every year that the National Finals are not an end point for our student entrepreneurs but a stepping stone on the next stage of their entrepreneurial journey."

More than 250,000 students have taken part in the programme since 2003, learning key skills about how to create a business idea, start a business and then expand their business. 

Some of the winners will feature on RTE's Late Late Show on Friday May 14.