Thomas F Meagher Foundation & Kerry Group Awards and Scholarship
This year marks the 170th anniversary of the first flying of the flag by Thomas F. Meagher at 33 The Mall, Waterford. Meagher spoke of the meaning of the flag: “The White in the centre signifies a lasting truce between the Orange and the Green, and I trust that beneath its folds the hands of the Irish Protestant and the Irish Catholic may be clasped, in generous and heroic brotherhood.”
We now encourage the young people of Ireland, irrespective of ethnicity, creed or gender to work together under the Irish Tricolour to proclaim and live its message of peace and unity and celebrate the new broader inclusive definition of Irishness in 2018.
Flag Day 2018 March 16th
Registered schools will receive the Foundation’s fundraising pack, including free lapel pins in English and Irish, to sell for charities or projects of your choosing within your school, locally, nationally and internationally. We also encourage you to hold events on the 16th of March to celebrate Irishness in its broadest sense and what it means to live in Ireland in 2017.
Kerry Group Awards and Scholarship Programme
The Thomas F. Meagher Foundation established its Awards and Scholarship Programme to recognise outstanding students who have promoted pride in and respect for the Irish Flag and its true meaning for peace and who active citizens in their community are. Students from registered schools are invited to submit an entry to our Kerry Group Awards and Scholarship Programme. This year entries can be submitted in the in the form of a video, essay, poem, picture or artwork on the subject of “What it is like to live in Ireland in 2018 and what the flag represents to me on this the 170th anniversary of it first being flown”.
An Awards and Scholarship Presentation lunch is held each May in Leinster House. HOW TO ENTER Competition Rules 1. The competition is open to all students from registered schools who take part in Flag Day 2018.
2. Students must enter the competition as individuals.
3. Entries must be based on the topic “What it is like to live in Ireland in 2018 and what the flag represents to me on this the 170th anniversary of it first being flown”. 4. All entries must be emailed to info@ tfmfoundation.ie or sent by post to Reverend Michael Cavanagh, The Rectory, Kenmare, County Kerry.
5. Deadline for entries is Monday, April 23rd, 2018. Entry Format Entries can be made in any of the following formats:
1. Video (no longer than 2 minutes) 2. Typed Essay (no longer than 500 words) 3. Poem
4. Picture
5. Artwork Topic “What it is like to live in Ireland in 2018 and what the flag represents to me on this the 170th anniversary of it first being flown”. Marking Scheme 1. Demonstrated knowledge of the history of the flag and commitment to the message of the Meagher Foundation of Pride in, Respect for the Flag and active citizenship including activities you/your class/your school took part in to celebrate Flag Day on March 16th (40 Marks)
2. Demonstrate the Details of the money raised by you/your class/ your school from the sale of the Thomas F Meagher Foundation lapel pins and for what charity or project this money was raised for. (20 Marks) 3. Innovation (originality of entry and uniqueness): (20 marks)
4. Quality of entry (quality of photos, videos, composition of essay, overall presentation): 20 marks