Covid-19 Student Writing Competition Winners announced

Following two weeks of judging of over 600 entries from school students all over the country, the winners have been selected in the NewsBrands Ireland Covid-19 student journalism competition.

The winners are:

Junior Category: Tiernan Finn, 2nd Year, St Josephs College, Garbally, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway.

Intermediate Category: Clare Reidy, Transition Year, Our Lady’s Bower, Athlone, Co. Westmeath.

Senior Category: Evan Carron-Kee, St. Columba’s College, Stranorlar, Co. Donegal.

Read the winners here

Students were tasked with writing an Opinion piece or Feature article on their experience of the current crisis. According to Prof. Michael Foley, Chair of the Judging Panel, “the entries received were engaging, well written, imaginative, sometimes emotional, even angry but always humane”.

The entries included imaginative ideas of how society should respond when this crisis is over, how students enjoyed being with their families, how they were often turning off social media, and ideas about the environment and politics. They told us how they coped with a parent falling ill with Covid-19 , and how they missed school and their grandparents.

NewsBrands Ireland CEO, Ann Marie Lenihan, said: Congratulations to Clare, Evan, and Tiernan! Writing and documenting major global and personal events can play an important role in keeping young people mentally strong and healthy during this worrying time and we were delighted with the calibre of entries and the positive feedback which we received from teachers, students, and parents.”

The judging panel was comprised of national and local news journalists from around the country, including the current NewsBrands Ireland Journalist of the Year Mark Tighe. Prof. Michael Foley was chair of the judging panel.

Judging Panel

Alan Steenson, The Herald

Anne O’ Donoghue, Irish Farmers Journal

Brian O’ Loughlin Westmeath Examiner

Conor Doyle, Irish Daily Star

Daragh Keaney, Sunday World

Dave O’ Connell, Connacht Tribune

Eddie Coffey, Irish Daily Mail

Elaine Prendeville, The Business Post

Eve Kelliher, Irish Examiner

Fiona Gartland, The Irish Times

Gabija Gataveckaite, Irish Independent