Wooden it be nice – Finn eyes up Foróige Network entrepreneur title

Finn Gannon, a TY student in Mercy School, Kilbeggan has reached the finals of The Foróige Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) Programme young entrepreneurs competition in Croke Park today, Wednesday May 14.

The young man from Ballinagore has progressed from a pool of 6,000 entrants to the final 24 students vying for the title. Finn will represent Leinster at the final stage.

Each young person participating engages with the NFTE Programme: “It encourages young people to start their entrepreneurial businesses. I’ve done multiple interviews with the judges, and they assess my business as I progressed further in the competition,” he told the Examiner.

The Mercy School student’s mini company is called ‘Wooden it be Nice by Finn Gannon’. Finn makes handmade chopping boards, heart shaped candle holders, candle sticks, napkin holders all from salvaged wood.

“My teacher at a mini-company, Mr Dunne, put me forward. In the mini-company class he talked about the ideas you could work on. I’d always loved woodwork. I had a great woodwork teacher, Mr Cox, and that’s where I found my love for it.”Finn burns words and images on wood, all by hand. He has sold at markets and takes orders online through Facebook. One recycling project saw the talented young man make timber Christmas trees from reclaimed pallets. His grandfather has also helped foster his interest in woodwork.

This passion for the work has grown: “I already had a good few tools. When I walked into the woodwork room, I instantly knew that this was what I wanted to do. I went home, and I started designing products and seeing what I could make.”Finn is not phased by the challenge presented on Wednesday: “I’ll set up my stall with my products and pictures. The five judges will come around, and I’ll talk to them and explain my business and my profits and my products. They’ll judge me then, and we’ll see how the competition goes.”