Nurney and Ballykillen national schools win prestigious art competition

PUPILS and teachers at Our Lady’s NS, Nurney and Baile An Chuilinn NS have been named junior and senior county winners, respectively, of the prestigious national art competition Someone Like Me.

Pupil of Our Lady’s NS Ayda Doyle-Murphy, along with teacher Bláithín Reid, were awarded for an Everyone is different colour poster. They described it as ‘a place where everyone can play’. 

Teacher Rebecca Smith’s sixth class in Baile An Chuilinn NS were awarded for their large colourful poster with beautiful eye drawings. ‘If all you can see is a disability, then you’re not looking in the right direction,’ they stated.

The achievement secured the two schools a place at the national awards ceremony in Dublin, where they joined pupils and teachers from 50 other schools to compete for the national titles. James Casserly, a young disability advocate, spoke at the event, and minister of state with responsibility for disability Emer Higgins presented a range of prizes to the value of over €1,000. 

The National Disability Authority has been running the competition for ten years, developing an awareness and understanding of visible and non-visible disabilities in primary school children through the medium of art.

Director of the NDA, Dr Aideen Hartney, said: “Selecting the county winners was not an easy task for the judges. All pupils and teachers should be congratulated for their entries and for coming up with ways to include all people within society.”