World News, Today World News, Latest International News, World Breaking News, Trending News of World - Times of India
· collected 2026-08-28 · by TOI World Desk
Cathal Sweeney, a 16-year-old student at Mungret Community College in Limerick, developed a glow-in-the-dark ball called the Glo Ball to help hockey players train during dark winter evenings. The business, GLO Hurling, generated €40,000 in sales within four months of its launch. The Glo Ball uses phosphorescent material and is designed for both children and adults who play hurling or camogie. Sweeney's innovative product won the Senior Category at the 2026 Student Enterprise Programme National Finals.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-28,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
For Cathal Sweeney, a frustrating problem on the hurling pitch became the starting point for an innovative student business.
asserted
problem → become → business
A self-described hurling enthusiast, Sweeney found that training on dark winter evenings could be difficult when there was not enough light to see the sliotar clearly.
uncertain
training → describe → sliotar
Rather than accepting the problem, he developed a glow-in-the-dark ball designed to help players continue practising when daylight fades.
asserted
daylight → accept → ball
The idea eventually became GLO Hurling and its flagship product, the Glo Ball.
asserted
idea → become → ?
In 2026, GLO Hurling won the Senior Category at the Student Enterprise Programme National Finals.
asserted
Hurling → win → Finals
Sweeney, a student at Mungret Community College in Limerick, developed the product as part of his Student Enterprise project.
asserted
Sweeney → develop → project
According to the official Student Enterprise Programme, the idea arose from his frustration when trying to train during dark winter evenings.
uncertain
idea → accord → evenings
A solution for darker evenings
The Glo Ball was designed to address a practical challenge faced by hurling and camogie players who want to continue training when natural light is limited.
asserted
light → design → training
The ball uses phosphorescent material, which absorbs light and gradually emits it over time, creating a glow effect.
asserted
which → use → effect
The technology allows the sliotar to remain visible in darker conditions.
asserted
sliotar → allow → conditions
To create a longer-lasting glow, Sweeney paired the ball with a high-strength UV light.
asserted
Sweeney → create → light
This combination is intended to improve the ball's visibility and make it suitable for training when daylight is unavailable.
asserted
daylight → intend → training
According to the official Student Enterprise Programme profile, the Glo Ball was designed for both children and adults who play hurling or camogie, offering a potential solution for players training during darker periods of the year.
uncertain
who → accord → year
From an idea to a business
What began as a response to a personal frustration developed into GLO Hurling, Sweeney's student enterprise.
asserted
began → begin → Hurling
According to RTÉ, Ireland's national public service broadcaster, the Glo Ball generated €40,000 in sales within four months of its launch.
uncertain
Ball → accord → launch
The project went on to achieve national recognition at the 2026 Student Enterprise Programme National Finals, where GLO Hurling won the Senior Category.
asserted
Hurling → go → Category
The official winners' list identifies the business, representing Mungret Community College in Limerick, as the top entry in its category.
asserted
list → identify → category
The achievement placed Sweeney's idea among a range of student-led businesses developed through the national programme, which encourages secondary school students to create and develop their own enterprise ideas.
asserted
which → place → ideas
An everyday problem
The story behind the Glo Ball highlights how simple, everyday problems can sometimes inspire practical innovations.
asserted
problems → highlight → innovations
For Sweeney, the challenge was finding a way to continue hurling practice when winter darkness made training more difficult.
asserted
training → find → practice
His response was to rethink one of the sport's most familiar pieces of equipment and develop a sliotar that could remain visible after daylight faded.
uncertain
daylight → rethink → sliotar
The result was a product built around a specific need: helping hurling and camogie players continue practising in low-light conditions.
asserted
players → build → conditions
The idea also shows how innovation does not always begin with a complicated scientific breakthrough.
asserted
innovation → show → breakthrough
Sometimes, it starts with a problem that many people encounter and a willingness to look for a different solution.
asserted
people → start → solution
By turning that challenge into a working product and student business, Sweeney's GLO Hurling earned national recognition in Ireland's 2026 Student Enterprise Programme.
asserted
Hurling → turn → Programme
The Glo Ball combines a traditional piece of sporting equipment with phosphorescent technology and UV charging to create a practical training tool for darker conditions.
asserted
Ball → combine → conditions
For Sweeney, the idea began with the simple frustration of trying to train on a dark winter evening.
asserted
idea → begin → evening
It eventually developed into an award-winning student enterprise and a reminder that useful ideas can emerge from the everyday problems people encounter in the activities they enjoy most.
asserted
they → develop → activities
