KERRY students have won awards in a national competition which develops literacy and critical thinking skills and leads students to analyse the society they live in.
The winners of the NewsBrands Ireland’s Press Pass programme, were announced in Dublin today and out of the thousands of entries, Tomás Ó hUallacháin of Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne, An Daingean, was chosen as the overall winner.
His schoolmates also won prizes. In the News category, Kate Ní Dhubháin was first and Ciara Ní Bhruic was second.
The Kerry winners didn’t end there as the Photojournalism category was won by Jack Farrell ofCauseway Comprehensive School.
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In 2016, 8,000 Transition Year students took part in the NewsBrands Ireland Press Pass initiative. At today’s Press Pass Awards, 16 of those students were awarded for their original journalism, created as part of the Newspapers-in-Education programme.
Finian McGrath T.D., Minister for State with special responsibility for Disabilities attended the awards and presented students with their awards.
The audience, made up of nominated students, their teachers and families also heard from Michael Clifford of the Irish Examiner, who was the NewsBrands Ireland Journalist of the Year 2016.
Since the Press Pass programme launched five years ago, approximately 70,000 students have benefited from it. The programme has had the full support of the Department of Education since it began. It seeks to improve literacy and critical thinking skills while helping students to develop a deeper understanding of news media and how it communicates about the world around them.
Participating schools receive newspapers and a specially created workbook free of charge. Students are encouraged to engage with the newspapers in the classroom, to analyse them and then to create their own original journalism, the best of which was entered into a national competition.
The winners were selected by a panel of newspaper editors and journalists, chaired by Professor John Horgan, the former Press Ombudsman.
Overall winner
Tomás Ó hUallacháin (Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne, An Daingean)
Features
1st – Caitríona Ní Chonaill (Coláiste Ghobnatan, Baile Mhic Ire)
2nd – Mark O’Donnell (St Columbas Comprehensive, Glenties)
3rd – Natasha Holmes (Presentation Secondary School, Clonmel)
Opinion
1st – Síofra O’Dwyer (Scoil Mhuire, Buncrana)
2nd – Aoife Foley (St Mary’s Secondary School, Macroom)
3rd – Ciara Tomlinson (Jesus and Mary College, Goatstown)
News
1st – Kate Ní Dhubháin (Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne, An Daingean)
2nd – Ciara Ní Bhruic (Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne, An Daingean)
3rd – Niamh O’Dowd (FCJ Secondary School, Bunclody)
Sport
1st – Emma McGoey (Mean Scoil Mhuire, Longford)
2nd – Sorcha Nic an tSionnaigh (Laurel Hill Coláiste FCJ, Limerick)
3rd – Colm Breslin (Pobalscoil na Tríonóide, Youghal)
Photojournalism
1st – Jack Farrell (Causeway Comprehensive School)
2nd – Carley Mannion (Coláiste Iognáid, Galway)
3rd – Clodagh O’Leary (FCJ Secondary School, Bunclody)