St. Patrick’s National School, Glencullen, Co Dublin, wins Our World Irish Aid Awards 2013

St. Patrick’s National School, Glencullen, Co Dublin was announced today as the national winners of the Our World Irish Aid Awards 2013. The winning project was 'Education For All The World's Children’ which focused on the barriers to accessing education and examining solutions to remove these barriers.

There were ten other finalists, all of whom had reached the final from a starting number of over one thousand schools from across the country.

The awards ceremony took place at Croke Park, comprising the winners of four regional finals held in Cork, Limerick, Sligo and Dublin during May.

Minister for Trade and Development, Joe Costello TD, who launched the Our World Irish Aid Awards in January, congratulated the finalists and described the importance of the Our World Irish Aid Awards and of all the schools who got involved this year:

“I am delighted for St. Patrick’s National School to have won this year’s awards. Their project shows a strong understanding of the Millennium Development Goals and will be a useful resource for those wishing to learn more about global development. It is crucial that children in Ireland understand they have a role to play in making the world a fairer place. It’s clear from the all of the projects here today that pupils are truly engaged with issues of development and of the need to make the world a fairer place.

“More than 1,000 schools took part in this year’s Our World Irish Aid awards. It is wonderful that the level of interest in global development among primary school pupils is so high year after year. 

“I would like to congratulate the staff and students of St. Patrick’s and all of the pupils from all of the schools present today. I also want to recognise the important role of their teachers in sparking and encouraging their students’ interest in the wider world. “

Awarding the prize was former Minister for Justice, and current chairperson of the Irish Aid Expert Advisory Group, Nora Owen, who was assisted by members of Irish Aid as well as a number of high profile guests.

The theme for this year’s awards was ‘Education for all the World’s Children’. This is the United Nations 2nd Millennium Development Goal, which seeks to ensure that by 2015 children all over the world are able to complete a full course of primary schooling.

Also honoured at the awards ceremony were: Jones Memorial P.S, Fermanagh, Fleming Fulton School, Belfast, Scoil Chíost Rí Enniscrone,  Sligo, St. Ciaran’s National School, Dublin, St. Senan’s National School, Clare, Crecora National School, Limerick, Scoil Chaitríona, Limerick, Vicarstown National School, Cork, Scoil Mhuire na Bbraithre, Kerry and Waterford Educate Together National School.

The Our World Irish Aid Awards encourage primary school children in Ireland to learn about the lives of children in the developing world and use their knowledge to create projects in a variety of media; from art, drama and essays to poetry, film and music. The Awards Programme is designed to foster a greater understanding of the Millennium Development Goals and Irish Aid’s work in developing countries.