School’s winning entrepreneurs get to fly high

STAY away from the drink and cigarettes if you want to get to the top, a leading entrepreneur advised as he presented awards to school students yesterday.

Renault Ireland chairman Bill Cullen flew into the grounds of the Intermediate School, in Killorglin, Co Kerry, to give students his personal tips on how to achieve success. One involved saving an hour out of sleep time which gives people more time to spend on their favourite pursuits.

After his speech, Mr Cullen, also author of the best-selling book, It’s a Long Way from Penny Apples, presented prizes to the school’s young entrepreneurs. First prize went to Kieran Doherty, Padraig Hegarty and Eoin McGillycuddy for their project on the setting up of a mussel processing plant in Cromane, Killorglin.

The winners were then taken on a helicopter ride around Killorglin.

Mr Cullen, who has a second home in Muckross, Killarney, also spoke about his love of Kerry, which he first visited in 1959.

He recalled his enjoyment of Dublin/Kerry football rivalry over many years, and said: “I am one of the select few to attend every game in Croke Park between 1949 and 1964, even though I wasn’t a paying spectator.”

“I used to spend my Sundays selling apples, rosettes, programmes and even a ladder to get you up on the Canal End for a bird’s eye view of the game.”