Tipperary pupils express their vision of peace in poster competition

Above: The winners and runners-up from the three primary schools in the peace poster competition with (extreme left) Catherine Murphy, Clonmel Lions Club Vice President and project co-ordinator; and (right) Paul Cremmins, Clonmel Lions Club President. Included is overall winner Lilien Tokai of the Presentation School (fourth from right) 

Prize winners in the Clonmel Lions Club Peace Poster Competition were congratulated for the tremendous effort they put into their artwork which, this year, carried the theme of “Dare to Dream”.

Lions Club vice president and project co-ordinator, Catherine Murphy, told the audience of pupils, teachers and parents at the awards ceremony at the Talbot Hotel that the standard was exceptionally high and the task of choosing a winner was very difficult.

She paid a special tribute to Maureen Purcell, who acted as an independent adjudicator on behalf of the club.

The final outcome saw six winners and runners-up from the three primary schools who took part; Ss Peter and Pauls, Presentation Primary and the Gaelscoil.

There was also one overall winner, Lilien Tokai of the Presentation, whose painting will now go on to represent Clonmel Lions Club at national level in the New Year.

This competition is a global initiative and the national winner will represent Ireland at international level with Lions Clubs from all over the world taking part.

Club President, Paul Cremmins, said the competition is run each year under the title of Lions International Peace Poster Contest. He thanked Catherine for the long hours of hard work that went into the organising of the event at local level, which saw almost 100 entries from the three schools involved.

This is a very special and unique contest, which encourages young people to create their own peace- themed poster. It gives children worldwide an opportunity to express their vision of peace and what it means to them and then being able to showcase this through the medium of art.

Paul Cremmins paid a special tribute to the teachers, who actively encouraged their pupils to take part, and even though there can only be a certain number of winners he hoped that taking part was a worthwhile experience.

Never has the importance of peace being so relevant and this project will be seen in some way as maintaining our focus on what we all hope and strive for.

Encouraged by the huge response to the project, Clonmel Lions Club hopes to make this an annual event, with even more schools taking part in the future.

Paul Cremmins thanked all the young budding artists and wished overall winner Lilien Tokai every good wish with her poster at national level, with the hope that the experience will be one that she will enjoy and will stand to her in all her future endeavours.

The other winners were Ss Peter and Pauls:

First place: Luis Wu.
Second place: Cian Gregory.

Presentation Primary:
First place: Addison O’Keeffe.
Second place: Fathima Mather.

Gaelscoil Primary:
First place: Aoibheann Murphy.
Second place: Alfie Nicholas.