Marian Brosnan, Hazlewood College, Dromcollogher, Liam McMahon, Ardscoil Rís and Lee Dillon, Ardscoil Rís,
Winners of the Regional Writing Centre Essay-writing Competition 2011/12
The awards ceremony for the inaugural University of Limerick Regional Writing Centre Secondary School Essay-Writing Competition took place on 23rd May 2012. The competition asked Senior cycle students from schools across Limerick, Tipperary, and Clare to respond to the statement made by Kate Green, MP that “Lowering the voting age to 16 could help reconnect young people with their communities”.
UL President Professor Don Barry and Associate Vice President, Professor Sarah Moore presented awards to the winners of the competition which was developed to highlight UL’s commitment to supporting the educational advancement of prospective students. The overall winner of the competition was Marian Brosnan of Hazlewood College, Dromcollogher , with second and third prize going to Liam McMahon and Lee Dillon, both of Ardscoil Rís, Limerick. Marian was awarded an iPad, while Liam and Lee were awarded a €200 and €100 voucher respectively.
Speaking at the event Professor Don Barry commended the work of all the students and reiterated to them the importance of developing attributes required by employers. “Almost any employer to whom you speak will tell you that in these recessionary times, it is those who exhibit the strongest communication and literacy skills who succeed and excel in the workplace. From the field of Engineering to the Arts, from Science to Tourism, the necessity for proficient writers is clear and employers now list effective communication and writing skills as among the most desirable competencies necessary for prospective employees,” said Professor Barry.
The winning authors were described as having illustrated a strong proficiency in writing, reflecting the ability to develop a strong argument, to be succinct and coherent, to achieve accuracy in language and form and to illustrate a capacity for critical reflection and creative thinking.
The Regional Writing Centre under the auspices of the Centre for Teaching and Learning at UL, supports both undergraduate and postgraduate student writers and collaborates with faculty to develop their own writing and to expand writing-based curriculum innovations. Established in 2007, Ireland’s first academic writing centre was inaugurated to ensure that writing skills are supported and promoted in a number of ways. The resource is dedicated to helping all students develop strategies to become better and more confident writers.
