Hugh O Flaherty Memorial

20 November, 2012

Hugh O'Flaherty Art & Literary Winners Announced

The Winners of the inaugural Hugh O’Flaherty Art & Literary Competitions 2012 were announced on Friday Nov 9th at the Official Opening of the Hugh O'Flaherty Memorial Exhibition in Killarney Library. The prizes were presented by the Mayor of Killarney, Cllr. Sean O’Grady.
 
Chairman of the Memorial Committee Jerry O'Grady said, "The level of submission for this inaugural competition was high and it was clear that substantial thought and effort went into the various creations". 
 
He added, "We received entries from around the county and from outside the county, indeed we had a late enquiry from a major secondary school in Canada but for this year, time and circumstances didn't permit the students to get their submissions prepared on time".
 
The Judges in the various Categories (Art - Frank Lewis and Literary - Dr. Fiona Brennan & Michael O'Sullivan), were particularly looking out for submissions that addressed the specific brief given for each Category but also showed a good understanding of what it was made the Monsignor stand out from the crowd when it came to caring for the safety of the oppressed and hunted, and particular comment in this regard was made of the winning entry under the Open Poetry Category", he added. The winning poem “Scarlet” (follow the link) was read by the entrant Mairead O’Sullivan at the O’Flaherty Memorial Grove in the Muckross Arboretum on Saturday.
 
Jerry O’Grady thanked Killarney Library for hosting the Memorial Exhibition and the Killarney Advertiser for promoting the Competitions for the Memorial Society.
 
The Winners in the different Categories were:

• Open Art Category     -     Carol Mullins, Gurth, Kilgarvan, Co. Kerry.
• Open Poetry Category - Mairead O'Sullivan, Hazel Lodge, Upper Lissivigeen, Killarney, Co. Kerry.
• Open Essay Category - Tiarna Lavelle, Fedoo, Monaghan Town, Co. Monaghan. (Tiarna is a Leaving Cert Student at St. Louis School).
• Secondary School Essay Category - Joint Winners  - Olivia O'Donoghue, Crohane, Fossa, Killarney (Student at Killorglin Intermediate) and Adele Myers, Oak Hill, Ballydribeen, Killarney (Student at St Brigid’s Killarney)