The two first prizes in the Young Business Writer competition have been won by students based in Dublin and Clonmel.

The winner in the undergraduate category is Cormac Finn of the Business School at Dublin City University who receives a prize of £1,563.40 for an essay on the theme, "The single currency is not in Ireland's best interest". The award in the senior second level section goes to Kian Pettit of CBS Highschool, Clonmel, Co Tipperary, who wins £1,172.55 for an essay on the subject "Entrepreneurs are born not made".

The competition, sponsored by Ericsson, is organised by DCU Business School and supported by The Irish Times. The total prize fund is £5,500.

At undergraduate level, second prize when to Christina Weir and runner up prizes to Jennifer Mary Noone and Caroline Joyce. All are students at DCU business school.

At second level, second prize was awarded to Bernard Hunt of Sligo Grammar School and runner up prizes to Julie O'Leary of Presentation Secondary School, Wexford, and Darren Nagle of St Andrews College, Blackrock, Co Dublin.

The judges opted not to award prizes in the postgraduate category and the prize fund was redistributed accordingly.

The awards ceremony, which was scheduled for last Monday, has been postponed because of the foot-and-mouth outbreak. It will be rescheduled and a fuller report will be published in The Irish Times at that time.