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There is more information and discussion about the Cadbury Apprentice winner on Facebook - just search for Cadbury Ireland.

Plus, if GAA is your thing you can Shout for your County! with Cadbury and be in with a chance of winning €1,000. Go to Facebook and search for Cadbury GAA then click the Shout tab. Good luck!

Cadbury has investigated complaints it received in relation to the Apprentice competition. In light of these investigations Cadbury has reached the decision that, in its opinion, the entry that received the most public votes was not eligible for the Promotion. Cadbury has therefore exercised its discretion under the terms and conditions of the promotion to award the winning prize to Paul Ruane, being the next valid entry receiving the most public votes.

Gilbert 28/02/2010 23:09:00 I really believed Sinead would win, she has put so much of her energy in this challenge. I was following her back in my country (France). Is it possible to have more information about this sudden change ? Thanks in advance.

trilly 01/03/2010 14:35:00 Am delighted with that decision, but what was the problem with Sineads. What is it that ye feel makes it ineligable.

John 02/03/2010 18:19:00 What were the complaints?

Just to let you know that when a Cadbury Hamper winner is drawn out of the hat here at Cadbury Towers we do our very best to contact the winner right away. Sometimes it can take a while for us to get a reply from the winner's email address or mobile number, so if there's a delay in announcing a winner, that's why.

Gina McHugh from Malahide, Co Dublin! Congratulations and thanks for voting.

With tens of thousands of votes cast on behalf of the 5 designs - voting is finally closed! Thanks to all of you who got involved. It's obvious that there were some very dedicated voters out there - some voted every day and in every way. Here at Cadbury Towers we'll be spending Valentine's weekend counting the votes and we'll be ready to announce the winner on Monday. Have a great weekend and see you all here on Monday.

Lizanne Proctor 15/02/2010 19:04:00 Just want to say a huge congratulations to Sinead! And to all the other contestants,you were all great competition, it was hard to keep up with you all!! best of luck to all of you in the future and well done. Also want to thank everyone who supported me and took the time to vote. I really appreciate it. Lizanne.x

nicole 15/02/2010 21:19:00 i really want Sinead to win she's excellent and the others are excellent too though :-)

Crossing your fingers might not help your favourite wrapper design to win - but using your fingers to text in your vote or submit it online certainly will!

It's right down to the wire and it's fair to say that it's a head to head showdown between Sinead and Paul. We've removed the leaderboard to build anticipation for the last few hours, but keep voting for your favourite because every vote counts until the final second - it's all up to you!

Nichola Shannon 10/02/2010 20:24:00 Now that's very unfair, we have been following Sinead and Pual's progress and now ye go and do this. It's not on ......really now?

Margaret 10/02/2010 20:48:00 Come on Paul Ruane....... We're all rooting for you...

GR 10/02/2010 20:59:00 Sinead to win - THE ONLY STUDENT TO MAKE IT TO THE FINAL - and what an idea! Some of the others are graphic designers etc.... Go Sinead Go - the best by far! Best of luck in your Art practical exam tomorrow.

mary 11/02/2010 03:47:00 I think Paul's is the best. The cliffs look really chunky and that is what you want a good mouthfull of chocolate and more where that came from

AL 11/02/2010 14:47:00 I wanted Lizanne to win !!! She had SUCH an amazing design ! VOTE FOR LIZANNE !!!!

Amy Healy, Co Mayo
Lyn Rubotham, Co Wexford
Sandra Manning, Dublin 16

 

Cadbury-filled hampers will be on their way to our weekly winners very soon, but for our shortlisted designers the race is still well and truly on. With just days to go there’s still time for you to win a hamper of your own and ensure your favourite wrapper wins the €10,000 and makes it onto the shelves later this year.

LJD 08/02/2010 22:30:00 CELINE TO WIN...by far the best design...C'mon Rathnew/Wicklow keep voting...get behind one of your own...lets see her wrapper in shops soon! UP THE VILLAGE...

Patricia Feldwick 09/02/2010 10:38:00 How come your website states that the leader board changes every day, yet it has looked exactly the same for 3 weeks!!! I and several of my friends have been voting regularly for our favourite (Celine - far & away the best) but the lines shown on the leader board haven't moved by a nanometer! Let's have some genuine info otherwise there's no point in us voting.

Philip Adams 09/02/2010 16:52:00 Congrats! :D

We've been very, very busy counting the votes here in Cadbury Towers. With over 50,000 votes cast it's fairly obvious that Paul and Sinead's designs are leading the field - it must be something to do with Irish landscapes made of Cadbury Dairy Milk that tugs the heartstrings. But there's still hope for the charming leprechauns and in Wicklow the craic might be mightier still when all the votes are in. Keep voting and good luck!

Anna H 05/02/2010 21:54:00 Sinead to win! =]

.. 08/02/2010 11:19:00 I love Celines Mitchells design. What a great design just in time for staint patricks day!!

nicole 15/02/2010 21:13:00 go on Sinead you can do it !!!!!!

With more than 15,000 total votes cast, Sinead's Giant's Causeway design has edged just a few hundred votes ahead of Paul's Cliffs of Moher wrapper. It's a tiny margin, everyone can vote once a day, and with 23 days left the prize is anyone's to win - or lose!

Orla Ni Scolai 19/01/2010 21:23:00 WOOOOOO Sinead :) ...the best one by far!

Eddie 20/01/2010 13:41:00 Sineads entry is the more authentic and draws on Irish heritage to reflect and bolster the product.The days of the "plastic paddy" portrayal are gone and the product deserves better.

Jo 20/01/2010 20:34:00 I guess the winning design will be polished up for full production so whether they are drawn by hand or a computer program should not prejudice the voting, on the basis of concept alone my vote is for the Giants Causeway by Sinead, simply the blocky structure evokes whats inside the wrapper as well as the Giants Causeway itself being a natural wonder, every block crafted by genius. The Cliffs of Moher is a good idea too but just does not relate to the product in an appetizing way and the Cliffs of Moher are not as universally recognisable, for me it is more like a postcard on a wrapper. I liked the green bar too but it needed something more to make it stand out. The leprechaun wrappers are fun though more of an American view of Ireland than an Irish persons view.

c 20/01/2010 21:37:00 fingers crossed for Sinéad to win, the giant's causeway is the most original and imaginative design and very impressive considering she has no background in art, illustration or graphic design. Can't wait to see the final result

Charlie 22/01/2010 20:40:00 I like Celines entry. Draws on both our heritage and the romantic view of Ireland. Perfect all rounder for an Irish and International Product. The rest are either too insular or a bit hokey.

A.M 26/01/2010 18:07:00 All the design's are good, but forget this heritage, it all comes down to what you like, and what will look good on the shelves. MY VOTE IS FOR CELINE Love the different green colours that show up the shamrock and horse shoes and most of all, the square of chocolate, sooooo...... COME ON CELINE :-)

John Jackson 28/01/2010 17:35:00 I think the Giants Causeway design looks like a box of cigarettes. The one that looks ready to go is Pauls design. I think it is by far the best. I don't get the 'monk' reference

Pol 29/01/2010 21:09:00 We have moved on as a nation from the old leprechaun and the pot of gold..this is not a representation of modern Ireland or of our real Irish heritage..I would hope that there were more innovative ideas submitted than the five selected!

Mrs. Cullen 30/01/2010 17:28:00 I think the Giants Causway idea is original and brill!I wish I'd thought of it!!!

Annie 31/01/2010 17:23:00 The race isn't over yet.... Come on Celine UP THE VILLAGE

Eilish 31/01/2010 21:48:00 Lizannes entry is by far the most fun and colourful. If I was in a shop..Lizannes wrapper would catch my attention immediately. I think it is unfair to pass judgement and say the leprechauns are part of old Ireland and we should be moving away from them etc etc. Lizannes design is a whimsical fun approach . The mischievous leprechaun with a twinkle in his eye attracts the kid in us and is this depressing recession time its nice to see a bit of old world magic and isnt that what Cadburys chocolate itself is about.Cadbuys brings out the kid in us. The designs in this competion deserve credit but I think people are reading far too much into them and really the point of a well designed wrapper at the end of the day is : to catch the buyers eye...the design needs to be clear and eye catching and memorable....and like it or not Lizannes design hops out at you straight away and thats a sale.

Mary. 02/02/2010 15:41:00 think there is great talent displayed in this comp.I think the leading entries are great because they portray main attractions, The Cliffs looks so real I could bite into it, just like a big bar freshly broken but cleverly showing the cliffs in detail down to the sea stack.

Niamh 02/02/2010 21:53:00 I think that sineads design is by far the most innovative and imaginative. Go on sinead!!!!!!

.. 03/02/2010 11:23:00 I like Celines design it show a true reflection of ireland (shamrocks and horse shoes "the luck of the irish") while the other design are nice i think there is bit more to Ireland than the gaints causeway & the cliffs of mohar. My vote goes to Celine's design

Aileen 03/02/2010 17:24:00 My favourite is the Cliffs of Moher,brill idea n design... I can't believe some people say the cliffs are not internationally recognisable-they're almost the 8th Wonder of the World !!The leprauchauns,shamrocks,harps etc,while being cute are very cliché and "paddyish"!! I also like the Giants Causeway but feel it would have been even better without the monks!!(Just the milk waterfall flowing into n forming the slabs) The Claddagh ring was also very appealing and befitting and I loved the Aran jumper...very original n humourous...mmnnnn those muscles lol!!

Ka 04/02/2010 11:16:00 giant's causeway is in the north to start with so not sure about the irish heritage... clifs of moher are by far the best!!!!!

Sandy 05/02/2010 17:00:00 Im wondering how come Lizanne has over 500 fans voting for her each day and her bar is not moving. The other guys must have thousands of votes each day and i cannot understand how that is...unless they are adding random email addresses. I find the voting for a whole month is a bit silly and unfair on all contestants. I also feel the public..ie those who do not know these candidates are not going to vote every single day...the only concession to this being a possibility of winning a hamper!! therefore its really only friends and family voting everyday...so these guys must have thousands of friends! wooww u lucky people!

sinead elebert 11/02/2010 09:21:00 SINEAD ALL THE WAY....sineads are cool!!!!

Amazing! We've got over 10,000 votes in the first 5 days. There are some clear favourites emerging but it's still all to play for and any one of the 5 designs can win the €10,000. If you want to see your favourite wrapper win then vote day after day until the end!

jim 16/01/2010 18:34:00 Hi How is the leader board updated? and when? once a day, twice and at what times? we are really enjoying this contest.

lillie kelly 29/01/2010 19:23:00 I think celines wrapper is the best by far,its stands out much more then the others would defo catch my eye on the shelf.

Phew! More than 2,000 votes were cast within 24 hours of the shortlist being announced - so thanks to you all for being so passionate about your favourite wrapper designs. Remember to vote every day and help make sure that it's your favourite design that wins out.

Congratulations to our 5 finalists who have made it all the way to the shortlist. Now it's decision time! You can vote for your favourite Cadbury Dairy Milk wrapper design once a day until the deadline and every vote you cast goes into a weekly draw to win a Cadbury hamper. So get voting, see your favourite design win €10,000 and hopefully bag some Cadbury goodies for yourself too. Good luck!

Lisa Murphy 13/01/2010 22:08:00 I would love the hamper, although i have ate a load of cadbury chocolate this Christmas, you can never have enough - I love it :)

Tara Toole 13/01/2010 22:12:00 I think the two entries with the leprachauns are a bit too in your face ! The one with the monks is a bit too complicated - took me ages to actually find the monks.. The one with the Cliffs of Moher is good if you know them, so anyone outside Ireland looking at this would not have a clue. So the winner for me has to be the one with the Shamrocks and the horseshoes because its subtle, eye catching, easily read and recognisibly Irish without getting tacky and gaudy. Beutiful mmmmm

Auds 19/01/2010 01:43:00 I think the two leprechaun ones along with the basic shamrock are border line offensive. the majority of irish people are sick of being stereotyped by this rainbows, and pot of gold image! sure Americas might love it, but this is a national brand reflecting our national image. The giants causeway idea is clever, but I think the monks are a little OTT for a chocolate campaign! think the clear winner is the cliffs of moher!!its in line with current cadbury marketing campaigns depicting cadburys worlds', its recognisable, and its appealing. made me hungry just looking at it!stroke of genius-u can tell the designer has a background in design-attention to detail in the cliff front texture is fantastic!!

anon 19/01/2010 19:28:00 Borderline offensive???this is a bit extreme,u must be easily offended! how can two little leprachans stuffing their faces with chocolate offend anyone? And,by the way our country is at the moment i certainly wouldnt mind if rainbows and pots of gold were how people portrayed Ireland! I think all the entrants are fab in theyre own way and well done to them all for getting this far. All they did was draw or design something and then they were picked,so they certainly dont deserve to be slated.If you dont like a design,dont vote for them,simple as that.

Ciaran 20/01/2010 08:49:00 Auds, the fact that you are blogging at quarter to 2 in the morning discussing the fact that you find Leprechauns offensive... is in itself offensive.

Beatrice 21/01/2010 10:59:00 Ireland has moved on from the days of the leprauchan ,so I am delighted to see some innovation from the finalists. I would like to wish them all the best of luck. I will always enjoy Cadburys Dairy Milk.

tbone 25/01/2010 05:02:00 Two leprechauns, a pot of gold and a bunch of shamrock?? Not very original. Aren't you guys tired of that stereotype? I'm an Australian and I recognised the Giant's Causeway and the Cliffs of Moher immediately - 2 amazing Irish landmarks to be proud of. I thought this was supposed to be a competition showing innovative ideas - shame on the judges. Come on Cadbury's, even here on the other side of the world we get a bit sick of all this Paddy-whackery. My vote, definitely Paul.

Alice 04/02/2010 15:50:00 I am Irish and I am proud of our heritage of leprachans, cliffs of moher and giants causeway. The leprachans is the most colourful one, its great with kids. My favourites is Paul and Celine as they strongly suggest Irish. Paul makes sense. I do not understand at all with the silly monks with giants causeway. I couldnt even see them. It was my least favourite one. I hope Paul wins