Tipperary primary school named as finalists for national 'Our World' awards

Sixth Class pupils from St Mary’s Primary School, Nenagh, have been named finalists in the 2025 Our World Awards.

The school will join 14 other national finalists from across Ireland at a ceremony to be held at Dublin Castle on Friday, May 30.

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St Mary’s Primary School is one of just 15 schools in Ireland to be in the running for one of nine prestigious Our World Awards comprising the Global Goals, Irish Aid Programme, Rising Star, Creative Star, STEM, School and Community Impact, Global Citizenship Education, an Iontráil Ghaeilge is Fearr and Outstanding School Engagement Awards, as well as the coveted School of the Year Award.

For their project, Sixth Class pupils at the school have taken a bold and creative stand on one of the world’s most pressing sustainability issues: fast fashion.

As part of their entry to the Our World Awards, the class chose to explore the impact of the global fashion industry on people and the planet, and what they could do locally to make a difference.

A previous winner of the Our World Awards, St Mary’s Primary School is known for its strong commitment to global citizenship education.

This year, the pupils focused on how the fast fashion industry contributes to environmental damage, unethical labour practices, and unsustainable consumption.

But they didn’t stop at research, as they took real action.

Determined to share their learning with others, the pupils organised an in-school “slow fashion show”, where they showcased upcycled clothing, pre-loved outfits, and creative styling ideas that promote sustainability.

The fashion show became a vibrant and educational event, highlighting how clothes can be reused, repurposed, and enjoyed in new ways, without adding to the fast fashion problem.

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In addition, the class partnered with local charity shops in Nenagh, where they arranged a public display of their creative projects.

The displays featured messages about sustainable choices and encouraged the wider community to think twice before buying new clothing.

By bringing their message into the heart of the town, the pupils demonstrated how local action can spark wider awareness about global issues.

Congratulating St Mary’s Primary School on making it to the national final, Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, Neale Richmond TD said: “I am really looking forward to meeting the pupils from St Mary’s Primary School and their teacher at the national final on May 30. I know that there is a great sense of excitement around the event in Dublin Castle.

“I am also looking forward to personally thanking our primary school teachers for their continued commitment, not just to participating in the Our World Awards, but also for nurturing an ethos of global citizenship amongst our young people. It is important that as global citizens we all play an individual and collective part in making the world a better place.

“Each of the projects submitted by the 15 finalists demonstrate an impressive level of insight and understanding of what are complex global issues that have a devastating impact on the most vulnerable in our world.”

Now in their 20th year, the Our World Awards are the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s flagship programme with primary schools which, over its lifetime, has seen thousands of young people become inspired to engage with global issues and take action for a fairer, more sustainable world.

The 2025 Our World Awards National Final is taking place at the Printworks, Dublin Castle on Friday, May 30.