Issued May 2005

MINISTER FOR EDUCATION & SCIENCE, MARY HANAFIN TD GUEST OF HONOUR AT 51ST TEXACO CHILDREN'S ART COMPETITION AWARDS CEREMONY

Minister for Education and Science, Mary Hanafin TD was Guest of Honour at the 51st Texaco Children’s Art Competition awards ceremony held in the Burlington Hotel, Dublin yesterday (Wednesday, 25th May) where she presented prizes to the winners of this year’s Competition. She was welcomed on arrival by Paul Martin, Country Chairman, Texaco (Ireland) Limited. After viewing the prize winning entries, Minister Hanafin met the 161 young artists and their parents who had travelled from all parts of Ireland to receive their prizes. They included the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize winners and twenty Special Merit Award winners in each of seven age categories.

Russian student wins €2,000 Overall Award plus €1,500 UTV/Texaco Commission
Leading the list of winners was 16-year old Russian student Elena Afrova, first prize winner in Category A (16-18 years) and the artist chosen to be the overall winner of the Competition. Her painting entitled 'Still Life With Copper Jug' was described by Texaco Country Chairman, Paul Martin as 'a work of exceptional maturity and quality worthy of exhibition in any art collection’.

Elena is the first non-Irish student in the 51 year history of the Competition to win the €2,000 top prize plus the €1,500 UTV/Texaco Young Artist Commission which goes each year to the overall winner. From the town of Danilov near the city of Yaroslavl, some 200km north of Moscow, Elena is currently attending Regent House Grammar School, Newtownards on a one-year student exchange programme.

In Category B (14-15 years), the €400 first prize winner was 14-year old Kevin Freeney of Gorey Community School for his self portrait entitled 'Me' while, in Category C (12-13 years), first prize of €300 went to 13-year old Bronagh McGlinchey of St Patrick's Academy, Dungannon for her impressive landscape entitled 'View of Sligo'.

In Category D (9-11 years), first prize of €200 was won by Sarah Granahan of St. Angela's NS., Castlebar for her painting 'Three Lovely Poenies' while, in Category E (7-8 years), the first prize of €150 went to 8-year old Cork student Nicola Roche of Eglantine Art School, Crosshaven for a work entitled 'Springtime.' In Category F (6 years and under), the youngest age group in the Competition, first prize winner of €100 was Ella O'Reilly O'Grady of Glasnevin Educate Together N.S., Glasnevin for her painting 'The Giraffe, The Butterfly And The Bird.'

In Category G, reserved for entries from children attending special needs schools, the first prize of €400 went to 17-year old Patrick O'Carroll, Patrician Academy, Mallow for his entry 'The Swimmer.' Second and third prizes in all seven competition age categories went to students from Cork, Galway, Donegal, Tyrone, Clare, Wexford, Monaghan, Antrim, Mayo and Wicklow.

26 Counties feature on Winners’ List – Cork Wins Most Top Prizes - Dublin Most Successful County Overall
This year, twenty-six counties are represented on the overall list of winners. Amongst the top prize winners, Cork was the single most successful county taking five awards. In overall terms, Dublin was the most successful county with 33 winners followed by Cork (15), Antrim (11), Wexford (10), Mayo and Sligo (9), Kerry (8), Down and Tyrone (7), Clare, Galway and Westmeath (5), Louth, Waterford and Wicklow (4), Donegal, Kildare and Limerick (3), Armagh, Kilkenny, Laois and Roscommon (2) with Derry, Meath, Monaghan and Offaly each receiving one each. Winning entries were also received from the Philippines, Poland and Slovenia.

Final judging was carried out by the Chairman of the judging panel, Professor Declan McGonagle, Professor of Art & Design, University of Ulster. Preliminary judges were Dr. Kay O'Brien and Mr. Eoin Butler (both from St. Patrick's Training College, Dublin), Dr. Denise Ferran, Artist and Art Historian; Ms. Colleen Frew, Education Officer, Ulster Museum, Belfast and Mr. Alan Bremner, Director of Television, UTV.

Established as the longest running sponsorship in the history of art sponsorship in Ireland, the Texaco Children’s Art Competition is credited with being central to the development of art education in Ireland. Open to all children from 6 years and under up to 18 years, the Competition continues to attract many thousands of entries annually with 2005 being no exception …….over 35,000 entries were submitted to the preliminary judges for review.