West Cavan school 'over the moon' to make national finals

St Mogue’s National School Currin have been nominated for a national award for their sustainability efforts in the community.

Fourth, fifth, and sixth class pupils from the school have been chosen to represent County Cavan at the 2024 final of the ‘Our World Irish Aid Awards.’

The school will join nine other national finalists from other counties in Ireland at a ceremony to be held at Dublin Castle on Thursday 13th June.

Speaking about the award, school principal and class teacher Kieran Conefrey said being shortlisted for the award was “brilliant.”

“This is the second year in a row we’ve been shortlisted for the award.

Last year the primary school won School of the Year, which Kieran described as the “top prize” at the awards.

“It’s great to get back again to be honest we didn’t think we get back for the second year.”

Kieran said the kids were “thrilled” with the greatly anticipated news. The announcement came a little bit later than last year, leading the children to believe that they had not been shortlisted.

“I think the assumption was that we hadn’t made it to the finals.

“I actually showed them the email on screen, they were thrilled.”

St Mogue’s National School is one of just ten schools in Ireland to be in the running for one of seven prestigious Our World Irish Aid Awards comprising the Changemakers Award, Gaeilge Award, Performance Award, Food for Life Award, Countries in Focus Award, Teacher of the Year and the coveted School of the Year Award.

The project from St Mogue’s National School comprises a video entitled Keep Tasting, Not Wasting. It tells the story of the seventeen sustainable development goals in action in their community.

“It’s part of our SPHE programme, when we talk about sustainable goals,” Kieran explained.

“It is part of our school but it’s brilliant that they get something out of it as well.

“They’re getting a trip to Dublin so they’re over the moon.”

The project focused on the second sustainable development goal which is ‘zero hunger’ and twelfth goal which is ‘responsible consumption and production.’

The primary school pupils focused on Malawi and invited a local charity worker who has been to the country to speak to the children and inform their project.

To achieve goal number two, the children decided they could waste less food and support local farmers.

They went to local supermarkets in the community and asked for any produce they were throwing out. Using this, they made soup and smoothies, the latter of which was made using locally sourced honey.

To contribute towards global goal number twelve, responsible consumption and production, the school children recycled materials that were going to waste and created signs with the seventeen global goals which they hung around their school grounds. They collected old washing machine lids, election posters, floor tiles, plastic mats, manhole covers and other materials. Under each symbol, they have explained what they goals are and how the community can achieve these goals.

Each of the ten schools will also have their work featured in a special printed edition of the Global Goal Getters annual which will be distributed nationwide.

Congratulating St Mogue’s National School on making it to the national final, Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora Sean Fleming T.D said:

“I really look forward to meeting the pupils from St Mogue’s and their teacher at the national final on June 13th. I know that there is a great sense of excitement around the opportunity to gather together to celebrate each other’s success.”