Invitation to enter the Oireachtas Essay Competition / Aiste an Oireachtais
and engage with the democratic process.
The new Competition invites Senior Cycle (5th Year and 6th Year) and AS/A level students North and South (32 counties) to reflect on how democracy works. We are looking for essays in English or Irish (max 1,000 words) on the theme Parliamentary Politics Matters / Tábhacht na Polaitíochta Parlaiminte and we have €4,000 in prize money to give away.
Please see www.oireachtasessay.ie or www.aisteanoireachtais.ie for more details.
Why are we doing this?
Many people wonder about the quality of our politics and the future of democracy itself. We hope this Competition will stimulate interest in the political process and help each student to find their role in our democratic system.
Who is organising the Competition?
Senator Rónán Mullen’s office has devised the Competition and we are running it with support from our Competition Advisory Committee which includes academic and teaching professionals countrywide.
We are grateful for the enthusiastic backing of An Ceann Comhairle and the expert input of the Oireachtas Education Unit.
We also appreciate the support of books and stationery retailers Eason (Principal Sponsor) and educational publishers CJ Fallon and Folens (Associate Sponsors).
How can people take part?
Senior cycle students are invited to log on to the Competition website, read the rules and register by the 15th November 2022 deadline.
You need a Teacher Contact person in your school to support your registration.
The closing date for submitting essays is 8th December 2022.
How can I help?
📣 If you are a teacher, parent or friend of second-level students, can you draw the attention of students to the Competition and encourage them to Register?
📣 Can you forward this email to people who might be interested?
📣 Can you put up a poster or send around a flier about the Competition? You can find these here.
📣 If you are a teacher, and used to correcting essays in Irish, English, History, Politics and Society, Religion etc, please join our team of ‘initial assessors’. You will be sent an email link to a maximum of 20 essays for assessment along the criteria supplied. Email here if you can help. Thanks for any help you can give.
More information
You can view Nuacht TG4’s report on the Competition launch of Thursday, 22nd September here (see 10 minutes in).
Coverage by Miriam Lord in The Irish Times of Saturday, 24th September is here.
See our launch Press Release in English here. Tá an leagan Gaeilge anseo.
