Mayo students showcase sustainable business at Foróige NFTE National Final

Mayo students Luke Morris, Basora Peon, Dylan Howley and Shane Duffy from Scoil Muire agus Pádraig, Swinford proudly represented Mayo at the Foróige Youth Entrepreneur of the Year Awards 2026 at Croke Park, Dublin. Their business is Mario Clocks. Mario Clocks transforms used tyres into handcrafted clocks that combine sustainability with bold industrial design. By repurposing waste materials that would otherwise be discarded, the business gives tyres a second life as functional and decorative products. Mario Clocks promotes creative reuse, environmental responsibility and sustainable design while creating unique pieces with strong visual character and purpose.

Wayne Travers, Chairperson of Foróige, said: This is a brilliant reminder of just how talented, creative and driven young people are. What we’ve seen here isn’t just entrepreneurial skill - it’s confidence, empathy, resilience and ambition. Foróige NFTE (Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship) gives young people the chance to believe in their ideas and in themselves, and that can have a lasting impact far beyond business. Every young person here should be incredibly proud of what they’ve achieved.”