Student wins art prize for second year in a row

A 15-YEAR-OLD Westmeath student has taken first prize in her category at the Texaco Children’s Art Competition in Dublin for the second year in a row.

Deirdre Manny, from St Joseph’s Secondary School, Rochfortbridge, Co Westmeath, was among a small number of students to take a first prize two years running. She won in the special needs section for her detailed and beautiful work Welsh Poppies.

The teenager said she got her inspiration from a garden she saw while on holiday. It took her seven months to complete the painting and she enjoyed every minute.

“When you are drawing and doing art it’s very relaxing; you’re concentrating on perfecting it and doing it right,” Deirdre said.

Entering the competition helped her develop her skills and winning it was “really good”, she said.

The Junior Certificate student, who had a stroke as a small child, was waiting to be called for surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in the UK, her mother Lena Manny said.

She said Deirdre’s artistic skills had delighted doctors at Temple Street children’s hospital in Dublin. Consultant paediatric neurologist Dr Brian Lynch acknowledged her win as a great achievement from a neurological perspective, Ms Manny said.

“As parents we are very proud of her,” she said. She acknowledged the help and support given to her by schools and special needs assistants through the years. “Deirdre’s an example of where those resources are effective,” she said.

Now in its 57th year, the competition has been around so long that some established Irish artists can trace the seeds of their ambitions to it. Robert Ballagh, Bernadette Madden and Graham Knuttel were all winners in their time.

Some 21 young people were placed first, second or third in various categories at yesterday’s prize giving and a further 140 received merit awards and €100 each.

Winner of the 16-18 years category, Keith Blake, of Presentation Secondary School, Ballingarry, Co Tipperary, received the largest prize of €2,000 for his oil painting A Warm Place. He will also have his work displayed in an international exhibition hosted by Japan’s International Federation for Arts and Culture in Tokyo.

More than 30,000 students entered the competition this year. Among popular subjects were plants, animals and celebrities, including twins, John and Edward Grimes. Entitled J-epic, their portrait was painted by 15-year-old Dearbhlá Reid, from Presentation de la Salle, Bagenalstown, Co Carlow, who was given a special merit award in her category.