PICTURES | Young photographers celebrated at Explore Longford prizegiving

Use the arrows < > above to go through the gallery

The winning entries in the Explore Longford Young Photographers’ Competition were celebrated recently at a prizegiving ceremony held in the county library. 

Longford County Council unveiled the winning entries alongside an exhibition of the county's finest young talent, which will remain on display to the public until next Friday, November 21, before moving on to other library branches around the county.

The competition, which was a joint initiative between Longford Library Service and Longford Tourism, was aimed at children aged 6-13 years all of whom were tasked with capturing Longford's landscapes, heritage, and hidden corners on camera from their unique perspectives.

Scroll down to find out more about the winning entries!  

Pictures by Shelley Corcoran

Photographs that came first, second, and third have been printed as greeting cards and are now available through Longford Tourism Office. As part of their prizes, the top 3 each received a framed photo and greeting card print of their work. 

First prize was awarded to 12 year-old Finn Mulfaul, for his photograph 'A Break in the Trees' which depicts Derrycassin Woods. Finn also won a guided electric bike tour for a family of up to five people with Ethical Tours, Ballymahon. 

Second prize went to Emilia Holkovic, age 13, for her shot, titled, 'The Royal Canal in Clondra'. Emilia won a family pass for four to Alan's Yippee Kayaking for supervised kayaking on the Royal Canal.

Third prize was awarded to 10-year-old Michael Ledwith, for his submission, 'Stewart's Farm Sunflower Trail'. As part of his prize, Michael received a €50 National Book token.

Two creative awards recognised exceptional artistic vision, Faolán Feely, age 10, for his picture, 'Town of Granard', and Marc Lane, age 8, for his work, 'Jurassic in County Longford'. 

Read More: EPA illegal peat extraction report ‘riddled with errors’ says Longford senator

Speaking about the awards, Chief Executive of Longford County Council, Paddy Mahon, said, "These young photographers have shown us our county through entirely new eyes. Their work demonstrates that creativity flourishes when we give children the freedom to explore their surroundings. Each photograph here represents not just technical skill, but genuine connection to place. Congratulations to all the award winners and indeed all the children who took the time to enter this competition."

Cathaoirleach of Longford County Council, Cllr Garry Murtagh, added, "These photographs show a genuine sense of connection to the places these children know and love. From woodland paths to canal waters, from sunflower fields to town streets, they've documented what matters to them. In doing so, they've created something that matters to all of us. These young people have proven that age is no barrier to artistic excellence."

The exhibition will be on display in Longford County Library until Friday, 21 November before moving onto other branch libraries in the county.

Funded by the local democratic reporting scheme