Students scoop €15,000 for surfer website

A surfing website co-designed by a Kilcolgan student, which has the potential to develop tourism in the West of Ireland, has scooped the top prize of €15,000 at the NUI Galway Student Enterprise Awards.
WestCoastSurfer.com is the brainchild of Cian Brassil, a second year Information Technology student from Kilcolgan and Oisin Halpin, a third year Earth & Ocean Science student from Achill Island, County Mayo. They were presented with their prize by Minister of State for Small Business, John Perry TD, NUIG President, Dr James J Browne and NUI Galway Students’ Union President, Peter Mannion.
Their goal is to design, build, promote, develop and manage a premier Irish surfing website. Judges were impressed with the WestCoastSurfer.com brand and its potential draw investment to the domestic economy.
Chairperson of the judging panel, CEO of Creganna-Tactx Medical, Helen Ryan said “West Coast Surfer.com has huge growth potential and is well grounded in commercial reality with great opportunities for the West of Ireland. Both Cian and Oisin have all the hallmarks of people who will be very successful.”
Six teams contested the final of the NUI Galway Student Enterprise Awards in anticipation of securing an investment of €15,000 for the winning project. The competition is the initiative of the NUI Galway Students’ Union, with the support of NUI Galway and has the goal of fostering a spirit of entrepreneurship amongst the students of the University.
Two runner-up prizes were awarded to LittleGreenWheels and Algorithm. LittleGreenWheels was created by Laura Crean, from Tralee and Amy Martyn from Salthill, Galway City and is an environmental recycling centre for children. Algorithm was created by Evelyn Fennelly, a first year medicine student from Portlaoise. Her project aims to help students overcome the difficulties of returning to education following childbirth.