Mayo school honoured for water conversation efforts

Ballyhaunis Community School has been named a regional Water School of the Year at the An Taisce Green-Schools awards, which were held in Dublin last month. The school emerged as regional winners in the secondary school-level category on the back of its inspirational efforts in water conservation and environmental action.

The adjudicators said that Ballyhaunis Community School shows a strong commitment to water awareness through a range of engaging, student-led initiatives. Students took part in hands-on activities such as monitoring water usage. They also researched local and global water sources and shared their findings with peers, promoting awareness across the school.

Creativity was a key element of the programme. In collaboration with the school's art department, students created a large-scale piece titled 'Water World', along with posters and visual displays promoting water conservation.

Another highlight was a whole-school soccer blitz, organised by Transition Year students with a Fifth Year Geography class, each team represented a drought-affected African country, linking sport with global water issues.

Cathy Baxter, An Taisce Director of Education, said: “The Green-Schools Water Awards are one of the highlights of our year. They celebrate the creativity, commitment and teamwork of students and teachers working together to protect one of our most precious resources: water. These young people are leading by example and showing that real environmental change begins in our schools and communities. We’re so proud of their efforts and inspired by their impact.”  

Uisce Éireann’s Head of Customer Operations, Geoffrey Bourke, who attended the award ceremony, said:  “The vital work being done by Green-Schools in schools across Ireland is clearly bearing fruit in terms of how our young people think about water and the need to conserve and respect it. We in Uisce Éireann are proud of our long-standing sponsorship of the programme.”  

Throughout the current academic year, An Taisce has been engaging with 450 schools on the Water Flag, working with over 100,000 students and 10,000 teachers across the country.  The Green-Schools water theme is a grassroots sponsorship that aims to foster awareness and understanding of a range of activities, tailored to students at both primary level and secondary level. In addition to developing awareness around water conservation, the sponsorship incorporates wider engagement around stewardship of our water resources.