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'Exceptional talent' Shania has winning down to a fine art
Overall winner Shania McDonagh. Photo: Mac Innes Photography
Caitriona McClay (16) with her sister Emer. Photo: Collins
Bailey Jones (7)
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SKETCHING her way to success, talented schoolgirl Shania McDonagh has been announced the winner of the Texaco Children's Art Competition.
This was the 16-year-old's fifth time to scoop top honours in the prestigious competition, after she was announced the winner of this year's senior category yesterday.
She will be honoured and presented with €1,500 at the prizegiving ceremony in June.
She has been awarded first prize in a variety of different age categories in the competition – which is this year celebrating its 60th anniversary – every year since 2010.
The Co Mayo girl is a student at Mount St Michael's Secondary School in Claremorris and has been described as "one of the most talented artists of her generation".
Her entry this year – a pencil study entitled 'Coleman' – impressed the judges, and the chairman of the panel Professor Declan McGonagle described her as "a young artist of exceptional talent and ability". She also won the 16-18 age category. Second prize in that category was won by Caitriona McClay, Loreto Community School, Milford, Co Donegal. Another big winner in this year's competition was 15-year-old Ryan Hazley from Beechlawn School, Hillsborough, Co Down. His sketch of his local landscape highly impressed the judges.
A total of 126 winners will be honoured at a ceremony in June, and the top 21 pieces from the competition will remain on display in the Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin.
See GALLERY on www.independent.ie
