A student from Thornhill College, Derry, Trinity McKeever, has won this year’s Columban Schools Journalism Competition print category while a student from Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine /Kenmare Community School, Aishling Rochford, has won the video category.
The Columbans invited students to write an article or produce a short video on the topic of ‘Tackling our Throwaway Culture’.
One of the judges, William Scholes, Religion Editor of the Irish News, described Trinity McKeever’s article as a “well constructed argument” and paid tribute to her use of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si.
The Tablet’s News Editor, Liz Dodd said, “I really loved the style of this piece: it had a lot of rhetorical flair that made me want to keep reading, particularly the section about looking around my kitchen for food waste! The piece is persuasive and fun, but still manages to get stats in without becoming turgid.”
The Irish Times Religious Affairs Correspondent, Patsy McGarry, commented: “I am very impressed with the standard of all submissions”.
Second place in the print category was awarded to Katie Treanor of St Louis School, Monaghan and third place in the print to Peter Cassidy of St Mary’s Grammar School, Magherafelt.
Second place in the video category was awarded to Sebastian Christian Kjelsen of Scoil Phobail Bheara, Castletownbere, Beara, Co Cork.
Two separate strands were held – one for students in Britain and the other for students in Ireland.
The students were encouraged to use their journalistic writing and mobile skills to look at a topical issue which is relevant to Catholic Social Teaching and resonates with Columban mission.
Each had two categories, writing and video, and leading journalists in Britain and Ireland judged the entries. The subject matter recognised the Columbans’ long established work on themes within Laudato Si’ in all 16 countries where they work.
Past competitions have focused on ‘The Challenge of Climate Change’ and ‘Migrants are our Neighbours’.
The judges for the Irish competition in 2020 were:
Liz Dodd, News Editor, The Tablet
Patsy McGerry, Religious Affairs Correspondent, the Irish Times,
William Scholes, Religion Editor, the Irish News
Fr Sean McDonagh, author, Columban and eco theologian.
We would like to thank every student who took the time and made the effort to enter the competition. The judges paid tribute to the very high standard this year.
Thank you!
Full list of winners can be seen here: https://www.columbancompetition.com/
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