Poetry Town Schools Awards Winners

29th November 2021

We’re delighted to announce the winners of the Poetry Town Schools Awards.  

The Awards took place in several of the Poetry Towns, with primary and secondary school students invited to submit poems in six different categories. They could write a poem about their town, a local place, or a person from their area. 

Entries, which closed on 30 September, were judged anonymously by an independent adjudicator. They shortlisted the submissions, and Poetry Ireland made the final decisions on the awards.  

Congratulations to the winners and to everyone who took part (certificates of participation have been sent to all of the schools who submitted entries). And a big thanks to all of the teachers who supported the work of their students.

We were delighted to read so many poems reflecting the pride, strength and diversity of local towns! 

Adare 

  • Maria Fitzgerald, of our Our Lady's Abbey, Adare, has won in the 3rd/4th class category for her poem 'Adare Flowers'. 

Bray  

  • Niamh Arcan (St Patrick's Loreto Primary - 5th/6th class category) with her poem 'Sidmonton Park' 
     
  • Murray Sheehan (St Gerard's Bray - 5th/6th year category) with his poem 'They're Dancing on the Beaches' 
     
  • Olivia Vondrys (St Gerard's Bray - 1st/2nd year category) with her poem 'Éire Duit' 
     
  • Lucy Curran (St Gerard's Bray - 1st/2nd year category) with her poem 'My Town is Every Town' 
     
  • Amber O'Donoghue (St Gerard's Bray - 1st/2nd year category) with her poem 'Someone in my Village' 

Cootehill 

  • Jack Birney Laws (Darly National School Cootehill - 5th/6th class category) with his poem 'Silage Season' 
     
  • Clara Crosson (Dernakesh National School Cootehill - 5th/6th class category) with her poem 'The Drive Home' 
     
  • Alice Ward (Dernakesh National School Cootehill - 3rd/4th class) with her poem 'Cootehill at Night' 
     
  • Heidi May Markey (Dernakesh National School Cootehill - Infants/1st/2nd class category) with her poem 'Fun on Daddy’s Farm' 

Ennistymon 

  • Junior Infants: Scoil Cholmcille Clouna Infants, 1st & 2nd class Acrostic Poem  
    (Names of Junior Infant students: Phoenix Badenhorst, Nathan Buckley, Lillyann Burke Mongan, Michael Cotter, Hayley Crosse, Odhran Crosse, JD Davoren, Lauren Davoren Murrihy, Evie McMahon, Rowan O'Regan) 
    (Names of Senior Infants students: Tom Barry, David Burke Mongan, Alfie Copner, Doireann McGuane, Connor Russell) 
     
  • Lily King (Scoil Cholmcille Clouna - 3rd/4th class category) with her poem 'Enchanted Ennistymon' 
     
  • Marcella Mantoan (Scoil Mhuire Ennistymon -1st/2nd year category) with her poem 'The Ennistymon Glen'  

Listowel 

  • Dromclough National School Listowel - Infants/1st/2nd class category with their poem 'Our Town' 
    (Names of students: Emma Barry, Ivy Rose Barry, Maia Casey, Jessie Dowling, Fionn Galvin, Oran Guiney, Shona Keane, Tadhg Kelliher, Elena O' Connell, Louise Quilter, Cameron Ringquist O'Connor, Cillian Russell, Gearóid Somers, Hollie Stack Mc Elligott, Simon Taracha and Darcy Windle)

Mountmellick 

  • Andrew Senior (St. Paul’s National School - 3rd/4th class category) with his poem 'Journey Through Mountmellick'  
     
  • Abbie Goodwin (St. Paul’s National School - 3rd/4th class category) with her poem 'Mountmellick' 
     
  • Jacob Foot (St. Paul’s National School - Infants/1st/2nd class category) with his poem 'Mountmellick' 

Naas 

  • Ben Mooney, of Kilashee MDNS Naas, has won in the 5th/6th class category for his poem 'Naas, a Beautiful Place'. 

Strokestown 

  • Sarah Dixon (St. Mary’s Primary School - 5th/6th class category) with her poem 'Nadnaveigh' 
     
  • Malachy Glover (St. Patrick’s Boys National School - 5th/6th class category) with his poem 'A Bicycle View of Strokestown' 

Tullamore 

  • Sarah Byrne (Tullamore College - 3rd/4th year category) with her poem 'Tullach Mhór' 
     
  • Bláithín Clarke (Tullamore College - 1st/2nd year category) with her poem 'Footprints by the Grand Canal' 
     
  • Daire Spollen & James Hyland (Ballinamere National School - 3rd/4th class category) with their poem 'Shane Lowry' 
     
  • Rory Byrne (Ballinamere National School - 5th/6th class category) with his poem 'Tullamore' 

Wexford Town 

  • Etain Doolan (Presentation Secondary - 5th/6th year category) with her poem 'Walks on St. Helen’s Beach' 
     
  • Cáit O’Carroll (Presentation Secondary - 3rd/4th year category) with her poem 'An Cósta Thoir Theas' 
     
  • Aoibhe Broaders (Presentation Secondary – 1st/2nd year category) with her poem 'The Charity Shops'