En-tree-preneur Jesse branching out after birdbox success

A SAVVY young entrepreneur from Drumconrath who came up with the idea to make and sell wooden birdhouses to his neighbours to make enough money to get takeaway from his favourite chipper has been inundated with orders for his new product creation for Christmas.

When twelve-year-old budding carpenter Jesse James Stewart’s mum refused to give him the money for a takeout from a chipper he decided to take matters into his own hands and came up with the idea to make the birdhouses from scrap timber to afford a burger and chips from his local takeaway.

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After all of the wooden creations were snapped up by keen locals the Drumconrath youngster decided to keep his enterprise going by making wheelbarrow planters selling an incredible 50 in just one weekend.

Self-sufficient Jesse James whose only request for Santa was to bring him a cordless drill last Christmas says he wants to “design and build kitchens” when he is older has a busy festive season coming up as his mum Marie explained:

"Jesse James has been busy right up until September making the wheel barrows and now he is flat out making his Christmas trees.

Jesse James building in his shed with some help from sister Rebecca

"He started first year in Patrician High School in Carrickmacross and his favorite subject is woodwork and technical graphics.

"He goes down to the workshop and cuts wood on Wednesdays as he gets a half day so on Saturdays he can get stuck in, it’s getting very busy now with the Christmas orders but it’s a lovely time of the year and Jesse James is in his element!" Earlier this year the Drumconrath youngster explained why he decided to take the initiative and find his own way to make money for what he wanted.

“I wanted a takeaway from a chipper so I thought where am I going to get the money? So I went outside and I saw timber at the corner of my eye and I was looking at little birdhouses a few weeks before so I thought it would be a good idea to make birdhouses and sell them to get a chipper. “My mam is building a new kitchen and she gave me the scrap timbers and I used a handsaw and a drill.

“I went around the neighbours and knocked on the door and said would you like to buy a birdhouse to hang in your garden, loads of people said they wanted them and then I ran out of birdhouses so I had to go back to the house and build more.” When the budding young woodcrafter finally had the money for the coveted take away he said it “was the best burger and chips he ever had.” He added: “I was really happy that I got so many orders that I could afford to go and get two chippers for me and my cousin.

“It’s that feeling of actually doing something, making your own money, it’s a good feeling.”