Waterford school recognised at national awards in Croke Park

A Waterford primary school was among the winners recognised at the first ever Re-turn Awards, which took place on Wednesday, June 3, at a special ceremony at Croke Park. 

Hosted by Today FM presenter Ian Dempsey, the awards recognised schools that have gone above and beyond to 'Re-turn it Right', using recycling projects to support sustainability, fundraising and positive change within their communities.

Waterford primary school, St. John’s Special School, received €1,000 for its efforts at the awards. 

The school was honoured with the Most Returned Award for its campaign to fundraise for a new school bus.

Led by the Bus Fundraising Committee, the campaign brought together students, staff, families, local businesses and the wider Dungarvan community.

Beyond fundraising, it helped students build confidence and responsibility while supporting safer transport, inclusion and new experiences for pupils, demonstrating the positive impact the Deposit Return Scheme can have on schools and communities across Waterford.

More than 300 schools from across Ireland entered the awards, highlighting the enthusiasm among primary schools for sustainability, recycling and community action. 

On the day of the awards, 16 winning schools were recognised across a range of award categories celebrating innovation, participation, sustainability and community involvement. The overall winner of the Re-turn Awards, Pelletstown Educate Together National School, Dublin, received the top prize of €5,000 for its imaginative 'Monster Bin' initiative.

Special guests at the awards included members of the judging panel including former Irish rugby international Donncha O’Callaghan, Dermot Mulligan, Chief Marketing Officer at Re-turn, and educational consultant and primary school teacher, Fiona Maguire.

Commenting at the ceremony, Donncha O’Callaghan, said: “It has been fantastic to see how schools right across Ireland have embraced the Deposit Return Scheme in such a creative and positive way. Both students and teachers have shown incredible passion, community spirit and leadership, not just helping the environment, but also raising funds for projects and initiatives that make a real difference in their school and communities."

He said what stood out for him was the imagination behind many of the entries. 

"From fundraising drives to awareness campaigns, schools found brilliant ways to get everyone involved and create lasting change," he said.

"Every school recognised today should be hugely proud of what they’ve achieved, including St. John’s Special School from Waterford that has been recognised for its creativity, commitment and community spirit," he added.

Speaking about the success of the Re-turn Awards, Ciarán Foley, CEO of Re-turn, commented: “The response to the first ever Re-turn Awards has exceeded all expectations, with schools from every corner of the country showing how small everyday actions can create meaningful change."

"Schools have shown how the scheme can support sustainability education, while also helping to raise funds for important projects and initiatives," he said.

"The creativity, teamwork and enthusiasm shown by students, teachers and wider school communities has been incredibly inspiring."

Since the launch of the Deposit Return Scheme in 2024, schools have played a key role in helping communities recycle the right way with many schools using the scheme to help raise funds for activities within their school as well as learn more about protecting the environment.

The awards were open to primary schools across the Republic of Ireland, with judging taking school size and context into account to ensure schools of all sizes had an equal opportunity to participate. 

Judges looked for entries demonstrating creativity, teamwork, fundraising success, sustainability awareness and strong community involvement.