Why was The Journey of an Idea created?
It was created to help students like you come up with cool ideas and turn them into real projects that could improve your town, Carrick-on-Suir. With the help of the Student Enterprise Programme, you’ll get the tools and support you need to make your ideas happen.
What is the Enterprise Bursary Returns — €5,000 Funding for Big Ideas?
We’re proud to introduce the Enterprise Bursary, a €5,000 annual fund running from 2024 to 2029. Students from the town’s three secondary schools can pitch creative ideas that boost tourism, increase town vibrancy, and attract visitors to Carrick-on-Suir.
Projects that best support the goals of Explore Carrick-on-Suir will receive funding to turn their ideas into real, working businesses.
This isn’t just a competition — it’s a journey. Students will follow their concept from inspiration to action, learning how an idea becomes a business while making a meaningful contribution to their community.
We invite all students to get involved, think boldly, and help shape Carrick-on-Suir’s future.
It’s your town. Your ideas. Your impact.
What’s this year’s theme?
This year’s theme, The Quest for Tourism Innovation, arrives at the perfect moment. With Tipperary named in Lonely Planet’s Top 25 Destinations in the World for 2026, the county is now firmly on the world stage. For local students, this recognition offers a real platform to contribute to how visitors discover and enjoy Carrick-on-Suir.
Using the Quest Map as their starting point, students will develop new ideas for visitor experiences — celebrating what already exists, while imagining exciting new adventures for the future. The programme will take a project-based approach, with monthly creative challenges leading to a judged showcase next April.
What should we do?
Students will be tasked with creating unique visitor experiences using the Quest Map as their inspiration, celebrating the attractions we already have, while imagining what new adventures might invite more people to discover Carrick-on-Suir.
Is it project based?
Year Two adopts a project-based approach. After each monthly webinar, participants will complete a creative mini-task, from one-minute videos to short summaries and storyboards. All projects will culminate in a judged showcase next April.
Where can I download the Student Resource Pack?
Explore ideas and guidance in this downloadable Resource Pack here.
How will this programme help the town of Carrick-on-Suir?
Your projects could make the town a better, more vibrant place to visit for tourists.
What support will we get during the five-year programme?
You’ll get access to workshops, planning tools, and one-on-one help from tourism mentors.
Can we work on projects with friends, or do we have to work alone?
You can totally work with your friends! Teamwork is encouraged, but if you want to do a project on your own, that’s fine too. Both options are welcome.
How will the programme check if our projects are successful?
Success will be measured by how much progress you make. You’ll get feedback from your mentors and the community to see how your project is making a difference.
Why is creativity important in this programme?
Creativity is key! You’ll be encouraged to think outside the box and come up with unique ideas. Workshops will help you come up with original solutions to problems and make your project stand out.
What kind of projects can we create for The Quest for Tourism Innovation?
If you’re using the Quest Map as your inspiration, your idea can:
✅ celebrate a current attraction
✅ improve the visitor experience
✅ or imagine a brand-new adventure for the future
Can you give me example ideas?
Here are some examples to spark ideas:
✅ 1. Themed Walking or Storytelling Tours
Create a new visitor trail — spooky ghost tour, Tudor drama tour, music heritage walk, GAA legends, river folklore or cycling history. You could design the route, challenges, QR codes, or short audio guides.
✅ 2. A Local Food Quest
Use cafés, restaurants, and markets on the map to build a “Taste of Carrick” food trail — stamps, challenges, recipes, or a food passport.
✅ 3. New Challenges on the Quest Map
Invent a set of fun challenges — selfies at landmarks, nature spotting, puzzles, history clues, or hidden surprises.
✅ 4. A River Suir Adventure Experience
Kayaking treasure hunt, nature activity pack, birdwatching challenge, fishing passport, or eco-tour ideas focused on the river.
✅ 5. Augmented-Reality History Moments
What if visitors could scan a QR code and watch history come alive? Students could storyboard an AR idea: knights, Tudors, boatmen, musicians, famous characters, or dramatic historical scenes.
✅ 6. A Festival or Market Concept
Think of a new annual event — medieval day, music festival, cycling challenge, food fair, biodiversity festival, or street art weekend.
✅ 7. A Blueway Experience Pack
Design a family-friendly adventure kit with maps, games, facts and animal spotting tasks along the Blueway.
✅ 8. A “Quest for Kids”
Imagine a children’s treasure hunt with characters, mascots, badges, colouring pages, puzzles and rewards.
✅ 9. A Visitors’ Welcome Pack or Digital Guide
Short videos, reels, drone shots, interviews, a podcast, or mini documentaries that bring the map to life.
✅ 10. A “My Town Memory” Project
Collect stories from older generations and turn them into something visitors can experience — recordings, panels, murals, or an audio trail. They might even get into the Tides of Time Exhibition due to open in the Heritage Centre next May!
What matters most in the Journey of an Idea?
You don’t need to build the full idea — you just need to:
- show creativity
- think about visitors
- use the Quest Map
- and explain why it will help Carrick-on-Suir
The best ideas could become REAL visitor experiences.
