.Pictured at the Kerry Young Historian Awards held in Kerry County Museum is Rory O’Flaherty, Mercy Mounthawk, Tralee, Winner in the Senior Category and Overall Winner of the Kerry Young Historian Award with Jimmy Deenihan. Photo: Mark O’Sullivan/Dennigan Photography
A FIFTH-YEAR student at Mercy Mounthawk Secondary School in Tralee has been named as this year’s Kerry Young Historian of the Year.
Rory O’Flaherty from Listellick was announced on Wednesday evening as the winner of the annual competition which is hosted by the Kerry Archaeological and Historical Society, Kerry County Museum, Kerry County Council, the Tralee Education Centre and the Kerry branch of the History Teachers’ Association.
Rory’s winning essay was titled “Tales of the Soldiers in Tralee during the War of Independence.” He was presented with his award at a ceremony at the Kerry County Museum.
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Rory was also the winner in the Senior Category while the winner in the Junior Category was Áine Newsome, a Transition Year student at Mercy Mounthawk Secondary School who won the award for her essay on Annascaul Post Office.
Pictured at the Kerry Young Historian Awards held in Kerry County Museum is Áine Newsome from Mercy Mounthawk Secondary School, Tralee, 1st Place Winner in the Junior Category with Tony Bergin, President of the Kerry Archaeological and Historical Association. Photo: Mark O’Sullivan/Dennigan Photography
The Kerry Young Historian Award is an annual competition open to all Kerry secondary schools and young people from Kerry between the ages of 12 and 19 who would like to explore their local history, archaeology and heritage.
“The purpose of the award is to encourage participants to research local history topics in a personal, interesting, and critical way with a special focus on some of Kerry’s lesser known or untold stories. The award aims to encourage and produce the historians of the future as well as engaging young people in local history, archaeology and heritage,” said the President of the Kerry Archaeological and Historical Association, Tony Bergin.
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All the entries in the junior and senior categories were present for the announcement of the winner on Wednesday.
The Kerry Young Historian Awards 2024 were held in Kerry County Museum this week. Pictured (centre) is Rory O’Flaherty from Mercy Mounthawk Secondary School, Tralee who was 1st Place Winner of the Senior Category and Overall Winner of the Kerry Young Historian Awards 2024 with Claudia Kohler, Kerry County Museum, Jimmy Deenihan, former President of the Kerry Archaeological and Historical Society and Tony Bergin, President of the Kerry Archaeological and Historical Association and Victoria McCarthy, Kerry County Council. Pictured (2nd row) Sophie Canty and Áine Newsome (1st Place Winner in the Junior Category) from Mercy Mounthawk Secondary School, Cathal Slattery from Causeway Comprehensive, Óisín Ó Dubhda from Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne, Sineád Crean, Presentation Secondary School, Tralee, Micheál Ó Dúbháin and Caoimhe Laighléis from Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne and Photo: Mark O’Sullivan/Dennigan Photography
The winning essays in both categories will be published in the Kerry Magazine, an annual publication from the Kerry Archaeological and Historical Society.
Each participating school received a voucher from Kerry County Museum for a free visit or outreach visit to the school. Prize-winning schools in the Junior and Senior categories are also presented with a complementary history workshop as part of the Architecture Kerry Festival this month.
The project runs from September to March each year and the 2025 competition is now open. Teachers and young people who would like to express their interest can contact education@kerryhistory.ie at any time for more information. Scroll down for photos…
Pictured at the Kerry Young Historian Awards held in Kerry County Museum is Micheál Ó Dúbháin from Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne, Highly Commended in the Senior Category with Tony Bergin, President of the Kerry Archaeological and Historical Association. Photo: Mark O’Sullivan/Dennigan Photography.Pictured at the Kerry Young Historian Awards held in Kerry County Museum is Óisín Ó Dubhda from Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne, Highly Commended in the Senior Category with Tony Bergin, President of the Kerry Archaeological and Historical Association. Photo: Mark O’Sullivan/Dennigan PhotographyPictured at the Kerry Young Historian Awards held in Kerry County Museum is Sophie Canty, Mercy Mounthawk, Tralee, 3rd place Winner in the Senior Category with Tony Bergin, President of the Kerry Archaeological and Historical Association. Photo: Mark O’Sullivan/Dennigan Photography.Pictured at the Kerry Young Historian Awards held in Kerry County Museum is Sineád Crean, Presentation Secondary School, Tralee, Highly Commended in the Senior Category with Tony Bergin, President of the Kerry Archaeological and Historical Association. Photo: Mark O’Sullivan/Dennigan PhotographyPictured at the Kerry Young Historian Awards held in Kerry County Museum is Cathal Slattery from Causeway Comprehensive, 3rd Place Winner of the Junior category with Tony Bergin, President of the Kerry Archaeological and Historical Association. Photo: Mark O’Sullivan/Dennigan Photography.Pictured at the Kerry Young Historian Awards held in Kerry County Museum is Caoimhe Laighléis from Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne, 2nd Place Winner of the Junior Category with Tony Bergin, President of the Kerry Archaeological and Historical Association. Photo: Mark O’Sullivan/Dennigan Photography
