Kilkenny kids from same village scoop top prizes in prestigious art competition
Two talented Kilkenny students have won the top prizes at this year’s prestigious Texaco Children’s Art Competition.
Stoneyford appears to be something of a cradle for local creative talent, with both young artists hailing from the village.
Five-year-old Eleana Hughes from Stoneyford National School won first prize in Category F (6 years and younger) – the youngest age group in the 66th Texaco Children’s Art Competition for her work titled ‘Minding Julian’s Pumpkin Field’ (main photo).
Second prize went to six-year-old James Healy, a pupil at Scoil Chiaráin Naofa in Stoneyford, for his ‘Two Dinosaurs’ (pictured below).
Both compositions were said by Final Adjudicator and Chairman of the judging panel, Professor Declan McGonagle to be “imaginative and displayed high levels of skill”.
With the onset of Covid-19, the Competition had to be extended over a longer period this year with delays to the final adjudication process and the announcement of winners.
As a result, activities normally undertaken during April and May – traditionally, the introduction of winners to the media and the formal presentation of prizes – had to be set aside. As a result of this the prizes will be delivered by hand without the possibility of an awards ceremony.