Chairperson Hosts Winning Pupils in Schools Environmental Poster Competition

At this year’s Schools Environmental Poster prizegiving event, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Pete Byrne welcomed winners to the Council Chamber in Downpatrick. Ten pupils from schools across the district received prizes for their winning posters after being selected from the many entries received from local schools.

Managed by the Council’s Sustainability team, the annual competition asked primary and secondary school pupils across the district to design an eye-catching poster on an environmental topic of their own choice.

The Chairperson presented the winners with a framed copy of their winning poster and a gift voucher.

Two of the winning posters, designed by Ollie Kearney from St Malachy’s Primary School, Castlewellan and Maciej Libera from Abbey Christian Brothers School, Newry will now be showcased on a billboard in Newry and Downpatrick in early 2025.

The primary school winners are Anna-Rose McNeill, St Moninna’s Primary School, Cloughoge; Adam Briggs, Glasswater Primary School, Crossgar; Ollie Kearney, St Malachy’s Primary School, Castlewellan; Cate Coffey, St Colman’s Primary School, Saval and Rebecca Rodgers, St Dallan’s Primary School, Warrenpoint.

The secondary school winners are Naomi Gamble, Kilkeel High School; Hannah Begley, Sacred Heart Grammar School, Newry; Maciej Libera, Abbey Christian Brothers School, Newry; Emer O’Neill, St Paul’s High School, Bessbrook and Aíobh McGrath, Mary’s High School, Newry.

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Byrne began by congratulating all the pupils on their success. Reflecting on the importance of each of the winning designs and said, “Your winning poster designs cover some very crucial topics such as Climate Change, the problem of Single Use Plastic and the damaging litter which it creates.

It is reassuring for me as First Citizen of this Council to know that these topics are high in our young people’s thoughts. Your involvement in competitions like this, along with programmes such as Eco-Schools, is vitally important. So, I encourage you to continue to be champions for the environment.”

Cllr Byrne continued, “A special word of congratulations to Ollie and Maciej. I look forward to seeing your designs up on billboards in 2025 helping to raise awareness of the important issues of plastic pollution and climate change”.