Young writer, snapper secure their Press Pass
TWO mid Cork secondary school students are celebrating this week after they won first place in the feature writing and photography sections of the prestigious Press Pass competition for aspiring journalists.
Méabh Ní Chonaill, a Transition Year student at Coláiste Ghobnatan in Baile Mhúirne, won first place in the feature writing section of the competition which is organised by Newsbrands, the representative association of Irish newspapers.
Her article focused on the traditional Irish ‘work songs’ or Amhráin Saothair which are almost unique to the Múscraí Gaeltacht.
“I spoke with Seán Ó Muimhneacháin who has written a lot of these amhráin saothair and the interview with him was very useful,” she said.
Méabh’s sister Caitríona is a previous winner of the competition in 2016 and her mother, Pet, is a journalist also. Méabh has her heart set on teaching rather than the media at present but does get alot of enjoyment from her writing.
As her school is closed due to the lockdown, she’s been writing articles and entering some other competitions to keep busy.
The winner of the photography competition is Theresa Galvin, a Transition Year student at St Mary’s Secondary School in Macroom.
“I was at a family gathering in Manchester and I saw the wonder of my grand aunt and grand uncle over the mobile phone so I just took a photo with my phone and that was the result,” Theresa told The Corkman.
Theresa’s interest is more writing than photos having published her first book, Lightning Nerve, a teenage fantasy novel, last year. “I’m looking for an agent at the moment.”.