Ferrybank student wins major national writing competition
Patrick Galvin, a student of Abbey Community College, was announced as the overall winner in the third Oireachtas Essay Competition. Pic: abbeycommunitycollege.com
A student in Abbey Community College in Ferrybank has won a major national writing competition.
Patrick Galvin was announced as the overall winner in the third Oireachtas Essay Competition and received his prize in Leinster House.
The talented teenager received his prize from the competition founding patron and former Ceann Comhairle, Seán Ó Fearghaíl TD, at a ceremony attended by the winning students, their parents, guardians and teachers, in addition to the competition judges and sponsors.
The prizegiving ceremony was followed by lunch and tour of Leinster House.
The judges praised Patrick for writing with “an excellent level of analysis of the meaning of liberty”. His essay was described as being “constructed very well" with references to the writings of the philosopher Thomas Hobbes, liberty in practice and Patrick was praised for relating that back to the life and career of Daniel O’Connell.
The prize-giving event was attended by Mr Eamonn Crowley, CEO of PTSB and Mr Brian Gilsenan, CEO of CJ Fallon. PTSB has begun a three-year commitment to the competition as Principal Sponsor and CJ Fallon is Associate Sponsor for the third year running.
The competition was devised by Independent NUI Senator Rónán Mullen, with the support of the Ceann Comhairle’s Office and the Oireachtas Education Unit.
This year, hundreds of senior cycle and AS/A Level students across the island of Ireland submitted essays in Irish and English on the theme ‘Parliamentary Politics Liberates’ / ‘An tSaoirse agus an Pholaitíocht Pharlaiminteach’ – reflecting the 250th Anniversary of the birth of ‘The Liberator’, Daniel O’Connell.
Over €6,000 in prizemoney was awarded in the competition and winners were determined by an expert panel of judges that included DCU Professor of Politics, Gary Murphy and journalist, writer and academic, Alan Titley MRIA. Professor Patrick Geoghegan of TCD, author of a two-part biography of O’Connell, also provided expert input to this year’s competition.
Presenting the prizes, Deputy Ó Fearghaíl said that greater engagement by young people with the political system was “vital for the health of our democracy and for our ability to overcome the many challenges we face at home and abroad.”
“We are delighted with the growing support for Aiste an Oireachtais - with a significant increase this year in the number of entries received,” said Senator Mullen, the Competition Convenor.
“Since Aiste an Oireachtais began in 2022, we have had registrations and entries from almost half the secondary schools on the island of Ireland ," he added.
“It is clear that schools recognise the importance of getting students to think about our democracy and the need to work it for the common good.”
However, it wasn't the first national award that Patrick received as he also won the National Law Society Gráinne O'Neill Memorial Legacy Essay competition last year.
The Ferrybank school borders Counties Kilkenny and Waterford and has students attending from both counties.
