Three Tipperary students travel to London to lay a wreath at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Day

Ursuline fifth-years Eimear McCormack, Gillian Aherne and Muireann Meade were involved in Remembrance Day Services and Armistice Day Commemorations in London last weekend.

They had the honour of being the first Irish secondary school students to be invited to lay a wreath at the Cenotaph, honouring Irish soldiers who fought and died in World War One.

This very special invitation came as a result of the girls winning the prestigious 2023 Malcolm Doolin Award, which encourages primary and post primary students to research theeffects of the Great War on their localities.

They shared this first place prize with another Irish school, Loreto Balbriggan.

Over the weekend, they placed poppies and remembrancecrosses at Westminster Abbey at the sites dedicated to the Royal Irish Regiment and the Leinster Regiment.

On Friday evening, they attended a commemoration in Victoria Station to mark the arrival of the remains of the Unknown Warrior and laid a wreath here too.

Other activities over the weekend included seeing the kindertransport memorial at Liverpool Street Station, visiting the Imperial War Museum, being interviewed about their project and their experiences at the Great War memorial services, seeing PM Rishi Sunak and a bit of shopping on Oxford Street.

All of this was thanks to the Western Front Association, who have extended the Malcolm Doolin Award to Irish schools.

The students and their accompanying teacher Ms Whelan, who guided and advised the girls on their 62-page winning submission, had an amazing trip to London and felt very privileged to be representing their school and their country at events of such immense historic significance.

Contributed to School Days in the Tipperary Star.