Aoibhinn is winner at Youth Speak event

Aoibhinn is winner at Youth Speak event

2 April 2025

THE winners of Newry, Mourne and Down Council’s annual Environmental Youth Speak competition attended a special awards ceremony at the Downshire Council Offices in Downpatrick last on Thursday

Fourteen pupils from primary and secondary schools were selected from 49 online submissions to present their speeches in front of a three-person panel.

The annual competition, which aims to encourage debate on sustainability issues, culminates with the crowning of the junior and senior champions. 

Ten primary school pupils and four secondary pupils were selected to perform their speeches in person at the celebration event.

Primary school pupils spoke on the topic ‘Welcome to the World of Waste Wizardry’; ‘Lesson One: Making Our Waste Disappear’.

Secondary school pupils were asked to speak on ‘Back to the Future. Learning from the Past to Reduce Our Carbon Footprint’.  

After much deliberation the judges chose Aoibhinn Cunningham, from St Malachy’s Primary School, Castlewellan, as the winner of the junior section.

Paddy Keenan from St Paul’s High School, Bessbrook, was chosen as the senior winner.

Runners-up in the junior section were Aralynn 

O’Hare, from St Jospeh’s Primary School, Carnacaville, and Olivia Tumilty, from St Colman’s Primary School, Saval.

Runners-up in the senior section were Ella McKee, from Kilkeel High School, Emma Hearne, from Our Lady’s Grammar school, and Eva Kelly, from Sacred Heart Grammar School.

Environmental Youth Speak is a fun public speaking competition organised each year by the council to encourage debate on sustainability issues.

Presenting the winning pupils with their prizes, council deputy chairperson David Lee-Surginor said: “I really enjoyed hearing all your speeches today.

“Congratulations to our overall winners Aoibhinn and Paddy and to all of today’s speakers. You presented imaginative, informative and engaging speeches.

“Reducing the impact we have on the environment is vital and you all have demonstrated excellent knowledge and awareness of the need to change how we live in order to reduce waste and our carbon footprint.”

The junior and senior champions with trophies which they can keep in perpetuity. All pupils who attended also received a commemorative certificate and a voucher.