Expressions Competition Winners

Our 8th Expressions competition was held recently at the Riverside Park Hotel in Enniscorthy on Wednesday 8th February 2023. After the last two competition’s being online due to Covid-19 restrictions, we were delighted to be able to host a live competition once again.

The project’s focus was on the theme ‘Positive mental health is…’ and the project was open to young people across County Wexford between 15 & 18 years of age. Young people are encouraged to discuss positive mental health in groups and present their work to a live audience and judging panel. This could be done through any creative medium, dance, drama, poetry, song etc.

Teams from Meánscoil Gharman, Bunclody Vocational College, FCJ Bunclody, Youth Train and St. Mary’s CBS Enniscorthy took part in the project this year and the judges were blown away by the standard of each of the entries. Annette Wall, Chairperson of WMHA, opened the evening by welcoming everybody and expressing her delight of be back in front of a live audience.

She thanked each of the schools for participating in the project and the teachers and students for all their hard work behind the scenes. She thanked the judging panel which consisted of Alice Doyle (Director, WMHA), Ciaradh Walsh (Director, WMHA) and Gina Delaney (Development Officer, Mental Health Ireland) and all the organisers of the competition. She also thanked Mairead Connaughton for giving up her time to do MC on the night.

Unfortunately, not each of the acts could be winners but each one were winners in their own right. Each of the entries had a very strong message on positive mental health. Alice Doyle advised that when delivering the results, it was the closest competition that the judging panel had ever come across. All of the participants were encouraged to share their work with the other students in their school. The winners were as follows: 1st Place was St. Mary’s CBS, Enniscorthy. The team consisted of:

• Brian Murphy
• Fionn Nolan
• Bobby McKeown
• Brandon Mashamba
• Cathal Murphy
• Ciarán Delaney
• Evan Millar
• John O’Neill
• Mateusz Polinski.

Their teacher was Ms. Marie Morrissey. Joint 2nd Place was Youth Train Wexford. The team consisted of:

• SallyAnn Connors
• Lorcan Breen
• Xavier Mahon

Their tutors were Mr. Paul O’Brien and Ms. Janet Whitney. Joint 2nd Place also went to Bunclody Vocational College. This team consisted of:

• Tanya Gentleman
• Grace Tobin
• Abbie Doran Walsh
• Sophie Roche
• Marina Iniguez Rimada
• Katherine McGlynn-Green
• Stacey Power
• Seán Roberts.

Their teachers were Ms Avril O’Sullivan and Mr Paul Cahill. There were two adjudicators prizes which went to the following: First Adjudicators Prize: Meánscoil Gharman. The team consisted of:

• Georgia Nic Liam,
• Sadbh Bonnington,
• Clarisse Ní Chonchubhair,
• Cáit Copeland,
• Aimee Nic Réamoinn,
• Amy Bryan,
• Odhrán Ó Cuilín,
• Cormac Mac Fionnaile,
• Ellie De Faoite,
• Ryan Mac Sandair, and
• Dylan Ní Chatharnaigh.

Their teacher was Ms. Cecille O’Connor. Second Adjudicators Prize: FCJ Bunclody. The team consisted of:

• Luke Burke
• Sarah Kehoe
• Sarah Byrne
• Simona Noreikaite
• Deirdre Ní Bhroin
• Leah Murphy
• Lauren Jordan.

Their teacher was Mr. Niall O’ Muiri. Thanks to Wexford County Council Creative Communities for their support with the project and the Riverside Park Hotel for providing the room and refreshments on the night. The organisers are actively planning next year’s event as we speak and it promises to be bigger and better than ever before. If any school or community group working with young people would like information on the project, please feel free to contact Wexford Mental Health Association at wexfordmha@mentalhealthireland.ie or phone 0539140610