FIFTH YEAR STUDENT FROM SCOIL RUÁIN WINS TOP AWARD IN GAA MUSEUM WRITING COMPETITION 2020
Overall Winner of the GAA Museum Writing Competition
(English Senior Category)
The Theme : “A GAA Legend”
The GAA Museum recently invited secondary school students to show off their writing prowess with an essay, short story or poem using the theme “A GAA Legend”. Entries were then judged by a panel of talent-spotting experts, including writer Paul Howard, journalist Cliona Foley and Sean Love of Fighting Words.
The GAA museum received an overwhelming response to the competition, with hundreds of entries received throughout Ireland, in both English and Irish, across Junior and Senior. Scoil Ruáin is delighted to reveal Katie Riordan, a fifth-year student in Scoil Ruáin Killenaule, was awarded the overall prize in the English Senior Category. Her original take on the competition’s theme highly impressed the judges. It is a fantastic achievement as there was only one winner and two runners-up in each category.
Asked where her inspiration for her poem came from, she said:
“Growing up, I always had an interest in Irish historical events, but I never took a liking to sports, if I’m honest. When I heard about the competition, I knew students would take the sports side of things and write about their sport experiences, but I decided to take a different route. Luckily for me, a few weeks before the competition, while rummaging in my attic, I came across ‘Knocknagow’, a book which was passed down on my dad’s side of the family. I then found a letter within the pages, a letter between Micheal and Delia from the 21st of November 1920- Bloody Sunday. As well as that, I knew dad’s grand uncles were members of the IRA and in particular, Sean Riordan who sadly was shot in Coalbrook, has a memorial in the area. I put two and two together and created a poem, which led me to victory”
Katie is also a past pupil of St. Mary’s National School.
Details of her win and other winners are on the Museum website.
Unfortunately, due to the on-going government restrictions surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic the museum was unable to host their awards lunch for the winners and their families and teachers, but they are hoping to welcome back these talented writers to the Museum in the near future so they can collect their awards and certificates. We would like to also congratulate Katie’s English teacher Ms. Aoife Coote who mentored Katie and encouraged her to enter this prestigious competition. We are all very proud of Katie and thankful to Aoife for all their hard work and dedication in winning this poetry competition. Great things lie ahead for Katie. Well done again.