Young Historian Award for Dunshaughlin student

Tanaiste and Minister for Education Mary Coughlan was guest speaker at the County Meath VEC Young Historian of the Year Awards competition held between the nine Meath VEC post-primary schools, which was held in the Meath VEC offices in Navan on Tuesday. The minister made presentations to award recipients and also presented each student who participated with certificates. Eve Bannon, a senior student at Dunshaughlin Community College was the winner of the Young Historian of the Year, winning the Oliver Coogan Memorial Award for a research study report in the senior category. Oliver Coogan, after whom the award is named, was a history teacher in Dunshaughlin Community College who passed away suddenly in 2005. The award is in honour of his deep and abiding love of history. The late Mr Coogan wrote a number of books on history, the most celebrated of which was 'Politics And War in Meath, 1913-1923'. Students from various schools carried out projects, which included making models of well-known historical sites - a model of Newgrange, a crannog and a castle, a round tower, as well as written work on a range of historical subjects. The competition was first held in 2007 between the Meath VEC schools and, each year, projects have included work by students on a wide range of eras from history. These included Newgrange, a project on a latene, shield and torc, Neolithic houses, Viking longships, motte and bailey Castle, Celtic crosses, a Stone Age spear and axe, Celtic monastery, written work on Michael Collins, Ancient Egypt and Ogham Stones. Seamus Ryan, Meath VEC Education Officer, said that the work done by the participants and organisers of the project "is a fantastic example on how to give students an initiative. The history project is a tremendous activity for students. We are indebted to our history teachers who are pioneers in this competition". The Young Historian Award competition was first held in O'Carolan College, Nobber, and, over the last five years, it has been competed for between all the VEC schools in Meath. Maria Brady, a history teacher in O'Carolan College, Nobber, welcomed Tanaiste Mary Coughlan and thanked the members of Meath Archaeological and Historical Society who judged the entries. Ms Brady also thanked the staff of Meath VEC for all the help in preparation of the event. The judging of the projects was carried out by Meath Archaeological and Historical Society members Oliver Ward, Martin Dier, Ruth Lawlor and Liam Smith. Minister Mary Coughlan said she was delighted to be present and thanked the organisers for the invitation. She spoke of the high quality of the projects, adding that she was a keen supporter of the promotion of local history. She congratulated the students, teachers and parents for the work carried out.