Eco-conscious student Niamhín wins 2026 Buncrana Tidy Towns ‘Greta Award’
The annual competition encourages pupils to reflect on environmental responsibility and the role families and communities can play in building a more sustainable future
A talented Inishowen student has been named the winner of the 2026 Buncrana Tidy Towns ‘Greta Award’ for her outstanding essay on sustainability.
Coláiste Eoghain TY Niamhín Kearney impressed judges with her thoughtful and well-argued submission, which explored ‘My Family’s Efforts at Living More Sustainably’, the theme of this year’s annual competition.
Organisers said the standard of essays was exceptionally high, making her selection a notable achievement.
The annual competition is run by the Buncrana Tidy Towns Initiative to encourage Transition Year students across Inishowen to reflect on environmental responsibility and the role families and communities can play in building a more sustainable future.
Niamhín receives a €100 prize along with the prestigious Greta Award, a distinctive metal sculpture created by renowned artist Maurice Herron.
Organiser Seamus McLaughlin, a retired English teacher and long-standing member of the Buncrana Tidy Towns group, said the competition continues to grow in popularity. He noted that it is open to all Transition Year students in the region and aims to promote awareness of environmental issues locally.
Niamhín’s winning essay reflects on how a personal experience at Buncrana’s Swan Park, where she witnessed a fish entangled in plastic in the river, transformed her understanding of sustainability from an abstract idea into a daily reality.
The moment helped to spark a heightened awareness of environmental impact within her own home and routines.
The successful Coláiste Eoghain student describes how her family has gradually adopted more sustainable habits going forward, including reducing energy usage, changing heating behaviour, and becoming more conscious of electricity consumption, such as unnecessary phone charging, among other measures.