Two young poets from Tipperary and Carlow have scooped the top prizes in this year’s ‘Something Fishing’ national poetry competition, which is organised by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) in conjunction with the Blackrock Education Centre.
Orlaith Timmons, a fifth-class pupil from Moycarkey National School in Thurles and Aoibhé Kieran, a sixth-class pupil from Ballon National School in Carlow each won the top prize in their categories for their nature-themed poetry.
Earlier this year, primary school students around the country were challenged by Inland Fisheries Ireland to create an ‘acrostic’ poem, where the first letter of each line spells out the word ‘Stream’ (for an English language poem) or ‘Sruth’ (for an Irish language poem).
The national poetry competition is an important element of the wider ‘Something Fishy’ Educational Programme, aimed at primary school pupils aged between ten and thirteen. It educates students on the importance of biodiversity and on having sustainable habitats, fish and angling. Despite school closures during the 2020/2021 academic year, online content was still available to pupils and teachers through the official website at www.somethingfishy.ie.
From over a hundred entries, the poetry competition judging panel also selected runners-up from Ballon National School and Bennekerry National School (Carlow), Scoil Mhuire National School in Corofin (Galway), Scoil Cholmcille in Greencastle (Donegal) and St Canice’s Girls National School in Finglas (Dublin).
The overall winners will receive a fishing kit to the value of €100 and runners-up will receive an outdoor field trip kit, to the value of €50. Third placed winners and special category winners will receive goody bags.
The ‘Something Fishy’ educational programme includes lesson plans for teachers and activity sheets based on the theme of the ‘Life cycle of salmon’ – Bradán. information about the programme is available from http://www.somethingfishy.ie/.
All winning poems from the 2021 ‘Something Fishy’ national poetry competition can be read at http://somethingfishy.ie/schools/.
Full list of competition winners here: https://www.fisheriesireland.ie/Press-releases/primary-school-poets-hook-prizes-in-national-competition-media-release.html
All prize-winning poems can be read on the competition website at http://somethingfishy.ie/schools/.
