Dundalk IT student wins at Enterprise Ireland Student Entrepreneur Awards

Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) student Max Crinion-Morgan, has been named as the winner of the 2025 Cruickshank High Achieving Merit Award and €5,000 at the Enterprise Ireland Student Entrepreneur Awards. 

A 2nd year student on the BSc (Hons) in General Nursing, Max was presented with his award at a ceremony in TUD Blanchardstown, following a tough competition. Ten cutting-edge innovations which address a range of global challenges were shortlisted for the final of the 44th annual Enterprise Ireland Student Entrepreneur Awards, and these included medtech devices, sustainable solutions and pioneering sports tech focused innovations.

Max’s entry RespÉire is a short-term respiratory rate monitoring device designed to assist nurses during patient observations. As respiration rate is often the earliest indicator of clinical deterioration, the device offers a more efficient and accurate alternative to current manual methods - aiming to save time, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes

Max was presented with his prize by Richard O’Connor, managing partner at Cruickshank. 

Speaking after receiving his award Max said: "So far it's been a very exciting journey since I started working on RespÉire just four months ago and discovered this amazing world of support for Irish Entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship wasn't something that I was contemplating when I was focused on my Nursing studies, so you can imagine my surprise, when RespÉire was chosen from over 1000 students then narrowed down to 50 and then one of the final 10. Receiving the Cruickshank High Achieving Merit Award was an absolute honour and I am so grateful for this recognition. To any of my fellow Student Nurses and anyone else who thinks they have a great idea, don't be afraid to explore it, as you never know what you might achieve."

The Enterprise Ireland Student Entrepreneur Awards is focused on supporting students to turn their smart ideas into commercial businesses, and aims to encourage and stimulate entrepreneurship by helping students take what are often their first steps towards commercial success. The annual initiative, which invites applications from third-level student innovators, is co-sponsored by Cruickshank, Grant Thornton and the Local Enterprise Offices.

Max was joined at the awards final by Garrett Duffy, Incubation Centre Manager at DkIT.

Speaking after the event, Garrett said: “On behalf of DkIT I want to say a huge congratulations to Max on his impressive achievement. The calibre of entries in the Student Entrepreneur Awards is so high and it is fantastic to see his idea getting the recognition it deserves. Innovations like RespÉire and innovative students like Max have the ability to make a huge impact on society when they have the right support and resources behind them. I look forward to seeing how RespÉire develops in the future and hope that Max’s achievements will inspire many more students to take a chance on their ideas. “

Ryan Ormonde and Jonathan Hoffman from Saor Water, a bespoke canned water solution for brands who are seeking a sustainable alternative to plastic bottles were named as the overall winners of the 2025 Awards. The company offers custom-branded aluminium cans and a low-minimum order service, which includes design, compliance, and logistics, and they are already working with high-profile clients such as Mercedes-Benz and Sculpted by Aimee.

This year’s winners will also benefit from comprehensive business advice and mentoring supports from Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Office, Intellectual Property consultancy and protection from Cruickshank and business plan development from Grant Thornton.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Kevin Sherry, Interim CEO of Enterprise Ireland, said: "The Enterprise Ireland Student Entrepreneur Awards is an important annual event that honours students who are delivering innovative solutions which have the potential to drive real and positive change in society.

“At Enterprise Ireland, Irish entrepreneurs and businesses are at the heart of everything we do. They are economic cornerstones in communities across the country. Our key objective is to Accelerate Sustainable Irish Business so that, in time, exporting Irish companies can become the primary driver of our economy. Key to this is strengthening our pipeline of early-stage companies with global potential, such as these innovators we are honouring in this year’s Student Entrepreneur Awards. These Awards are a powerful example of how we can foster ambition, innovation, and international success from the very beginning of the entrepreneurial journey.

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“I would like to congratulate all of the finalists in this year’s competition. You are the leaders of tomorrow - we look forward to supporting your journey and wish you every success.”

Also speaking at the event, Teri Smith, Manager, Local Enterprise Centre of Excellence & Enterprise Europe Network, Enterprise Ireland, said: "The Student Entrepreneur Awards continue to provide third-level students with a vital platform to explore the feasibility of their business ideas, supported by experienced mentors and their academic institutions. 

“At Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices, fostering the next generation of Irish entrepreneurs is a top priority. These Awards mark a significant milestone in the entrepreneurial journey of students, offering them the resources, guidance, and recognition needed to transform innovative concepts into thriving businesses. The 44th year of the competition showcases the ambition, creativity, and potential of Ireland’s future business leaders."