A talented Mount Anville student, Eve O’Callaghan, received the Highly Commended Award in the Oireachtas Essay Competition from NUI Senator Rónán Mullen at a ceremony in her school on Wednesday, 3rd of May.
The new competition was devised by Independent NUI Senator, Rónán Mullen, with the support of An Ceann Comhairle and the Oireachtas Education Unit. It is aimed at Senior Cycle (5th and 6th Year) and AS/A Level students across the Island of Ireland. It was sponsored by book publishers and distributors Eason, Folens and CJ Fallon. Students had the choice of submitting their essays in Irish or English on the theme Parliamentary Politics Matters / Tábhacht na Polaitíochta Parlaiminte.
Speaking at the ceremony in her school, Senator Mullen said, “Eve O’Callaghan showed great depth of reading and wide research in the preparation of this essay.”
“The great response to this essay competition shows the importance that teachers and students attach to participation in our democratic process. This gives us great hope for the future”, he said. “This student wrote an essay full of philosophical maturity and gave a high-quality analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of our democratic system.”
Senator Mullen continued to say, “I enjoyed reading this essay which used interesting real-life examples of when democracy succeeds and how, if democracy is neglected, societies can fail.”
The main award ceremony for the competition took place in Leinster House on Friday, 10th March. Over €4,500 went to the main winners of the competition. Dominican College Sion Hill student Prachi Agrawal was the Dublin winner of the competition.
When discussing the overall experience of devising and organising the competition, Senator Mullen said the “wave of interest” generated by the competition among schools and students would “ensure the continuity of this Competition into future years.”
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