Land locked Laois students win competition about the sea

Laois might be the most land landlocked county in Ireland but that hasn't stopped some local boys and girls winning an national award.

Laois students from Derrylamogue National School were among children from from 15 schools around Ireland to honoured at an award ceremony yesterday celebrating the winners of this year’s Green-Schools Marine Spatial Planning Competition: Our Ocean, Our Plan.

Luke Dunne from Derrylamogue National School, Laois won first prize in the Junior Primary category for his poster design and the Junior Infants class from the same school won second place for their 3D model in the Junior Primary category.

Luke collected the latter award on behalf of his school at the ceremony. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

Pictured: Luke Dunne from Derrylamogue National School pictured in Wexford with his prize-winning poster at the Green-Schools Marine Spatial Planning Awards

In partnership with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Green-Schools asked students to create posters or 3D models showing how they would like Ireland’s seas to be used in the future. The competition ties in with The National Marine Planning Framework, which will try to balance the different demands for using the sea including the need to protect the marine environment.

The framework is about planning when and where human activities take place at sea and ensuring these activities are as efficient and sustainable as possible. The competition was open to schools taking part in the Green-Schools Marine Environment theme, which encourages schools to discover how their work on the Green-Schools programme has positively, influenced people and their local environment while focusing on our oceans and seas.

As part of their work on the Marine Environment theme schools are asked to investigate the sources of marine litter, take part in a #2minutebeachclean and carry out a Marine Litter Awareness survey. The results of this survey in 2022 have shown that schools made great strides in learning about marine issues, increasing their knowledge of reasons why marine litter is bad for the environment from 44% to 85% and strengthening their awareness of the ways in way climate change affects the marine environment from 35% to 74%. 

Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Peter Burke TD celebrated with schools at the award ceremony: “When you are introducing something new and innovative in Government, as we are with the National Marine Planning Framework, reaching certain sectors of the community can have challenges. Children can often be overlooked, and this is something we became acutely aware of during the development of the marine plan. I place great importance in getting our message about marine planning and this new plan into schools. Students have led the way in many environmental initiatives and their generation is the first to acknowledge and take steps to combat the severity of the climate crisis on a widespread basis. And so this ‘’Our Seas, Our Plan’’ competition is a direct response. It is our way of asking young people to think about what they want to happen in our seas into the future. I’m delighted with the overall high standard of the many entries received, and I think it is great to see such high levels of interest in our marine from so many of our young people”

Green-Schools Manager Cathy Baxter added: "It's amazing to see the innovative and creative ideas that have been produced as part of this competition. Thanks to everyone who participated, it's fantastic to be able to celebrate in person with you all at today's event”. 

Winning students and schools: 

Poster Awards:

Category: Infants Category

1st prize: Agata Szyczewska, Scoil Mhuire, Carrick on Shannon, Leitrim

2nd prize: Ódhran Maguire, Emper National School, Westmeath

3rd prize: Louis Mac Dónaill, Ghaelscoil Dhún Dealgan, Dundalk, Louth

Category: Junior Primary

1st prize: Luke Dunne, Derrylamogue National School, Laois

2nd prize: Rose Mullin, St. Marys Convent Primary School, Trim, Co. Meath

3rd prize: Ruby Byrne, St. Marys Convent Primary School, Trim, Co. Meath

Category: Senior Primary

1st prize: Conor Maher, Scoil Chrónáin Naofa, Drumkeenan, Tipperary

2nd prize: Sophie Higgins, Kingsland National School, Boyle, Roscommon

3rd prize: Luuk Van Meijel, St Colmcille’s Senior National School, Knocklyon, Dublin

3d Model Awards:

Junior Primary

1st place: Lucia Silke and Amy Burke, Barnaderg National School, Galway

2nd place: Junior infants, Derrylamogue National School, Laois

3rd place: Saibh McKeever, Our Lady of Good Counsel Girls National School, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin

Senior Primary

1st place: St. Canices National School, New Ross, Wexford

2nd place: James Brisson, St Oliver Plunkett National School, Ballina, Mayo

3rd place: Scoil Bhride, Dunleer, Louth

Special Innovation Awards

St Johns National School, Kenmare, Kerry
Balbriggan Educate Together National School, Dublin
 

Green-Schools 

Green-Schools (known internationally as Eco-Schools), is an international environmental management education programme, environmental management system and award scheme that promotes and acknowledges long-term, whole-school action for the environment, and is operating in 58 countries around the world including; almost all EU member states, Africa, South America, North America, Canada, Oceania and Asia. Green-Schools is an initiative of FEE (the Foundation for Environmental Education). 

The programme is coordinated in Ireland by An Taisce, operated in partnership with Local Authorities and is supported by the Department of Housing, Local Government, and Heritage; Department of Environment, Climate and Communications; Department of Transport, Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media; Department of Foreign Affairs, Irish Aid, National Transport Authority, NPWS, Irish Water, Clothes Pod and the Wrigley Company Limited.