The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Hugh O’Flaherty celebrated in excellent literary works
Before an audience of 100 students, teachers, and proud parents and grandparents, Spa National School Tralee; Rebecca Lee of St Brigid’s Secondary School, Killarney; and Mia Counihan of Lissivigeen National School, Killarney were named as winners at this year’s Hugh O’Flaherty Literary Competitions in Killarney Library.
Rebecca took the Second Level School Poetry contest with her poem “For Humanity’s Sake”, with Mia taking the Individual Primary School Essay competition and Spa National School winning the best collective entry prize.
In opening the ceremony, Jerry O’Grady Chair of the Hugh O’Flaherty Memorial Society Jerry O’Grady said “It has been the Society’s objective from the outset that future generations will continue to celebrate the humanitarian work of Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty and apply his example to their own lives and their dealings with others.
“In particular, his strong belief that ‘God Has No Country’ meant that he placed no importance on the colour of your skin, your political or religious beliefs or what country you come from, he very simply believed that all those in need deserve our help,” he added.
Presenting the prizes, President of the Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce Paul O’Neill was full of praise for both the event, commemorating the Killarney Monsignor who saved thousands of lives in Nazi-occupied Rome at wartime, and the winner.
“We in Chamber are delighted to be associated with this wonderful event,” he said.
“I must praise the extremely high-quality level of entries received from schools across the county, and it reflected well on the deep consideration being given by students to the whole question of oppression and exploitation of people like those being helped by Sr Orla Treacy in South Sudan,” he added.
Sr Orla Treacy was recently named as the 2017 recipient of the Humanitarian Prize for her outstanding work in the impoverished nation of South Sudan since 2006.