Thomas Meagher Foundation Awards Ceremony, Dublin

Students from Finn Valley College were special guests at Leinster House this week.  The invitation came on foot of two students winning two out of twelve categories in the national Thomas Meagher Foundation Awards and Scholarship Programme.  FVC participated in the special commemorative 75th anniversary of the first flying of the Irish tricolour in March 2022.  Kara O’Neill said that participation in the programme provided an ‘amazing (opportunity) to see what Ireland is all about’.  The focus of the programme in school was inclusion and community as symbolised by the green, white and orange of the flag.

As part of the national programme of activity, Finn Valley College was delighted to have been selected for two awards out of the hundreds of entries that were submitted nationwide. The school is very proud to have won two categories of the TMF Awards and Scholarship Programme for the second time.

Kara O’Neill who won the Best Music/Dance Category and Iryna Shutak was awarded for a stunning Digital Art piece.

Ms Ward and Ms Connolly who lead out the flag day activities and ceremony every year, accompanied the winners together with Aisling Mc Hugh (SNA) and several other students who had participated in the Flag Day activities to Leinster House.  The group enjoyed an intimate dinner in the Members’ Restaurant which is ordinarily restricted to Government Ministers and their guests.  Dinner was followed by the award ceremony and a tour of Leinster House.  Students got the chance to visit both Houses of the Oireachtas and explored the Dáil and the Seanad.  

Kara O’ Neill said that the visit was, ‘An amazing opportunity to see the Dáil in real life’.  John Gregg researched, performed and recorded a beautifully haunting rendition of ‘Grace’ said ‘To see the Proclamation on the wall was cool’.