Semi-final delight for talented Kinnitty wood apprentice

Talented Kinnitty apprentice wood manufacturer and finisher, Ryan O'Meara, has plenty of reason to celebrate this week after he was named as a semi-finalist in this year’s Screwfix Trade Apprentice competition.

Ryan, who is studying at Solas, will test his skills against 36 other aspiring apprentices as part of an interview process to hopefully book a place in the Screwfix finals, which take place at Google HQ in London next month.

The young Kinnitty apprentice secured his place in the semi-finals of the prestigious skills competition from a field of more than 3,000 applicants across the UK and Ireland. He is now in with a chance of claiming the coveted title and taking home an impressive €10,000 trade bundle made up of tools, tech and training.

Speaking of his delight at reaching the semi-finals, Ryan O'Meara said he is excited to be "representing Offaly on a national stage" and added that he "really enjoys" working in his trade. " Every day there can be many unique challenges that we have to overcome, which I find makes the job interesting and rewarding. I love picking up new skills from more experienced tradespeople around me, learning more accurate and efficient ways of doing a job and I hope that my commitment to the trade will be recognised by the judges and I will do everything I can to try and make it to the final.”

Jack Wallace, Marketing Director at Screwfix, said it is great to have received "a record number of entries" for the 12th annual trade competition this year given that apprentices are "so important to the future success of the industry." He said making it through to the highly contested semi-finals is "a fantastic achievement" and he wished all 37 semi-finalists, including Ryan O'Meara, the very best of luck in making it to the final.