Council Announces Schools’ Environmental Poster Competition Winners

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Philip Campbell, welcomed pupils and guests to the Council Chamber in Downpatrick for the Schools’ Environmental Poster competition prizegiving.

The annual competition invites primary and secondary school pupils throughout the district to design a poster on an environmental topic of their choice. Ten pupils’ posters were selected as winners from hundreds of entries received from over 50 schools.

Dobrusia Mankowska of St Mary’s Primary School, Barr and Alex Doyle of Assumption Grammar School, Ballynahinch will have their posters displayed on a billboard in Newry City and Downpatrick in early 2026.

Chairperson, Cllr Campbell said, “Everyone here today is a winner. I am highly impressed by how you all have been able to use your obvious artistic talents to highlight important environmental issues such as Climate Change, Single Use Plastics and the damaging litter it creates. I look forward to seeing Dobrusia and Alex’s posters transformed into billboards in early 2026.”

The 10 winners, who were presented with a framed copy of their poster and a voucher by Cllr Campbell, were primary school pupils Eoin Tumelty, Sacred Heart PS, Dundrum; Éanna McKibben, St Columban’s PS, Kilkeel; John McArdle, Clonalig PS, Culloville; Dobrusia Mankowska, St Mary’s PS, Barr and Erin Mackin, Carrick PS, Burren.

Secondary school winners were Kirya Young, St Louis Grammar School, Kilkeel; Hannah Bradley, Sacred Heart Grammar, Newry; Alex Doyle, Assumption Grammar School, Ballynahinch; Daniel Campbell, Abbey CBS, Newry and Shea Friary, St Joseph’s Boys’ High School, Newry.