They were a part of the 12,000 primary school students nationwide that participated in the skills project, which encourages students to start and run a real business in the classroom.

The kids, who are between the ages of ten and thirteen, took home the prize for Draíocht na Mara, their organic, natural seaweed soap company.

They converted their classroom into a science lab and experimented with creating soap, working with various essential oils, seaweeds, and natural dyes until they discovered their winning formula after obtaining a loan of €300 from the Parents Association for their seed money.

They made a label and a promotional video for the 300 bars of soap they produced, which they sold at a local community showcase day and at a farmers' market stand.

According to the organisers, they made €2,160 in sales and €1,350 in profit, which they used for a day trip, local retail certificates, and a charitable donation.

The kids now want to use the money left over to purchase chickens and a coop for the school.

Every student in the class, according to class teacher Niamh McCarthy, "has blossomed and grown on this programme - children who aren't suited to book learning, those who are highly academic, children who are very creative - there's something for everyone, and it has been such a pleasure to watch them all flourish".

More than 112,000 students have taken part in the free JEP programme, which was founded in Kerry in 2010 by businessman Jerry Kennelly and fosters entrepreneurial abilities. Under the Primary Schools Entrepreneurship Initiative, Enterprise Ireland has provided funding to JEP since 2020.