Three-time winner Ruairí Quinn led the tributes to the Texaco Children's Art Competition yesterday, as one of Ireland's great cultural institutions marked half a century in existence.
The former Labour leader joined other past prizewinners, including painter Robert Ballagh and novelist Clare Boylan, in celebrating a competition that, he said, "changed my life".
A victor in the 1956, 1961, and 1963 events, the TD was also second in 1964.
Mr Quinn - an architect by profession - was still happy to praise the competition yesterday.
"At the time I was doing it, outside the Leaving and Inter Cert, it was the only external validation [for children's art] we had. And apart from that there were the prizes, which were very generous for the time. Seriously generous."
His award in 1963 was £75. This year's overall winner, Niamh Fanning of Malahide Community School, Co Dublin, collects €2,000 and a stg £1,000 commission from UTV, which will hang her winning entry in the art collection at its Belfast studios.
Founded in 1955 as the Caltex Children's Art Competition, the event quickly became a staple of Irish childhood, attracting an average 40,000 entries a year, and some times up to 50,000.
Fifty years on, the competition has changed little in format, and still concludes with an exhibition of the best entries, to be held this year at the Helix, Dublin City University, from April 6th-30th.
Other former prizewinners who attended yesterday's anniversary lunch included artists Bernadette Madden and Dorothy Cross; conductor Ethna Tinney; communications consultant Terry Prone; political correspondents Ursula Halligan (TV3) and Mark Costigan (Today FM); broadcaster Thelma Mansfield; and ASTI vice-president Susie Hall.
Painter Graham Knuttel, actress Jean Anne Crowley, and fashion designer Paul Costello were among past winners who could not attend.
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