Offaly student chosen as Leinster winner in prestigious essay competition

An Offaly student has been chosen as the Leinster winner in a prestigious essay competition.

St Brendan’s Community College student Karo Bekker secured the prize for the best essay in Leinster at the Oireachtas Essay Competition prizegiving in Leinster House on Friday, 1st March.

Karo received his prize from Ceann Comhairle, Seán Ó Fearghail TD, at a ceremony attended by the winning students, their parents/guardians, teachers, as well as Competition judges and sponsors. The prizegiving ceremony was followed by lunch and a tour of Leinster House.

The Competition, sponsored by book publishers and distributors Eason, Folens and CJ Fallon, was devised by Independent NUI Senator Rónán Mullen with the support of An Ceann Comhairle and the Oireachtas Education Unit.

Senior Cycle (5th and 6th Year) and AS/A Level students across the Island of Ireland were invited to submit essays in Irish or English on the theme ‘Parliamentary Politics Matters for Peace’ or ‘An Pharlaimint agus an tSíocháin’.

Over €4,500 in prizemoney went to the winners, out of a €6,000 prize fund. Students whose essays were “Highly Commended” will receive certificates and cash prizes at a ceremony in their schools.

The judges praised Karo for writing “an interesting and insightful profile of Nelson Mandela as an agent of peace in a troubled 20th century South Africa. The essay touches on some interesting tensions between the ultimate authority of parliament and the importance of a central, charismatic leader to which a nation can cleave.”  

Presenting the prizes, Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl said that greater engagement by young people with the political system was “vital for the health of our democracy and for our ability to overcome the many challenges we face at home and abroad.”

“We are delighted with the growing support for the Oireachtas Essay Competition – reflected in a large increase this year in both the number of entries received and the number of schools from which they came,” says Senator Rónán Mullen, Competition Convenor. “There is a widespread appreciation in schools of the value of getting students to think about our democracy and the need to work it for the common good.”