Leinster art award for this young Mountmellick schoolboy

A warning not to fly kites near overhead lines has won a young Mountmellick boy a Leinster title.

Tom McDonald, a pupil at St Paul's NS Church of Ireland recently accepted the prestigious award of regional Junior winner in ESB Networks' Stay Safe, Stay Clear programme.

His winning design will be among 12 featured in the 2018 ESB Networks calendar, to be sent to schools throughout Ireland and ESB Networks staff.

Tom was a guest at the first ESB Networks ‘Stay Safe, Stay Clear’ prize giving ceremony, where all the young winners were celebrated, with their posters on display for all to admire, culminating in a prize giving ceremony.

The ceremony was held in ESB Networks, Leopardstown and included a presentation by ESB Networks Public Safety Manager, Arthur Byrne as well as a workshop and entertainment.

ESB Networks’ ‘Stay Safe, Stay Clear’ programme is aimed at Primary Schools. The core objective of the ‘Stay Safe, Stay Clear’ is to educate Primary School children about how to stay safe when they are playing outdoors near electricity poles and overhead wires.

The programme provides a fun, exciting and educational way for pupils from Junior Infants to 6th Class to discover the benefits of electricity, while learning to be safe around it through lesson plans designed around curriculum strand units and learning objectives.

School children were invited to share what they learned about staying safe around electricity and ESB Networks’ six safety tips by entering the Poster Competition.

Twelve winners were selected, six Junior category winners and six Senior category winners, broken down into Regional and National winners.