Tyrone students win top prizes in Texaco Children’s art competition

In the 12-13 years age category, third prize went to Farragh McGeary (age 13) from St Patrick's Academy, Dungannon, for her artwork entitled ‘Don’t Tell Mom’. Her work is described by Final Adjudicator, Professor Gary Granville as “portraying the humour and messiness of family life”. A previous winner, Farragh won a Special Merit Award in the same category of last year’s Competition.

In category G, third prize was won by Katherine Harkness, (age 14), a pupil at Cookstown High School, for her work entitled ‘Sunset in Portstewart’. Her work is described by Professor Granville as “an evocative rendition of a familiar setting”.Sadly, she was unable to attend the reception.

In addition, two County Tyrone winners each won Special Merit Awards for artworks that Professor Granville said ‘were imaginative and displayed high levels of skill and creativity’.

They were Hannah Gormley (13) from St Patrick's Academy, Dungannon and Meaghan McKee (13), from Holy Cross College in Strabane. No stranger to the Competition, Meaghan won Special Merit Awards in both 2018 and 2021.

The Texaco Children’s Art Competition is popularly regarded as the longest-running sponsorship in the history of arts sponsoring in Ireland, with an unbroken history that dates back to the very first Competition held in 1955. This year, as has been the case throughout its life, it has been a platform on which young artists from Tyrone and counties throughout Ireland have had their talents recognised and their creativity commended.