Clare student wins top art prize

A 17-year-old student from Killaloe, Co Clare has won the €2,000 top prize at this year’s 54th Texaco Children’s Art Competition.

Lucy Carragher, a pupil at St Anne's Community College, Killaloe, Co Clare, saw off nearly 32,000 competitors to secure first place in Category A of the Competition (16-18 years) for her painting, entitled Self Portrait.

At the awards ceremony in the Dublin City Gallery this afternoon, the judging panel chairman, Prof Declan McGonagle, said the young artist had produced "an intense portrait painting in which every inch of the surface is active and alive with brush marks and paint."

Ms Carragher had previously won a Special Merit Award for her entries in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

In Category B (14-15 years), the €400 first prize winner was 15-year old Wexford student Ronan Bradbury from Gorey Community School for his painting entitled The Wasp.

In Category C (12-13 years), the first prize of €300 went to 13-year old Lara Darby from Seacourt Print Workshop, Bangor, for her work entitled simply Doctor?,while in Category D (9-11 years), first prize of €200 was won by 11-year old Ashley Ughovwa, a student at Presentation Senior School, Mullingar, for his painting entitled The Abandoned Tractor.

In Category E (7-8 years), the first prize of €150 went to 8-year old Kerry student Rebecca Murphy from Holy Cross Mercy School, Killarney for her study entitled The Hungry Toucan.

In Category F (6 and under), first prize winner of €100 was six-year old Colleen Clarke from Co Down for Waterfall River. In Category G, reserved for entries from children with special needs, first prize of €400 went to 15-year old Glenn Barry, a student at St. Mary's Special School, Rochestown, Co. Cork, for his entry entitled Dolphins Rise at Sunset.