An online programme to help people quit smoking is one of three finalists for this year's David Manley award, which recognises the work of entrepreneurs in Ireland.
Stopsmoking.ie draws from psychotherapy and communications technology by combining personalised quit programmes with web-based peer-support in the form of chat rooms.
Founder Richard Boyle runs a technical consultancy, Ideasgarden, which offers internet and multimedia solutions. He is also a qualified psychotherapist, and the site's programmes feature modern methods from the field of psychotherapy to help alter behaviour patterns.
"I used to smoke like a train myself, and I tried every book and method there is," according to Mr Boyle.
"To be honest a lot of it was dreadful and preachy. This is a stop-smoking portal where smokers can come when they want to stop smoking - I don't care if they've tried acupuncture or hypnosis or whatever before. Here they can give and get support."
The site will feature a questionnaire where smokers can outline what they want from the programme and work at their own pace. They can then swap tips with other smokers in the website's chat rooms.
"Forums and chat rooms lend themselves very well to quitting. When people try to quit it's all they can think about. In the States, this is something that has worked well. People are up in the middle of the night and they can go into the chat room and get encouragement."
The plan is that the core programme will be free, but other services and quitting aids will cost.
Stopsmoking.ie launches in early 2007, but people can register online now to receive notification of the full service.
The site has already won the David Manley Business Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Tomorrow night it competes with three other finalists at Dublin Castle for the overall prize, the David Manley Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
The winner will receive over €80,000 in consultancy and mentoring services, as well as a cash prize of €10,000.
The award was set up four years ago in honour of the late David Manley, former president of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, and his commitment to mentoring and advising the business and arts community.