BE INSPIRED AWARDS- WINNERS 2019/20
Be Inspired Awards 2019/20 –Winners
ALL OF THE JUDGES COMMENTED ON HOW EXTREMELY DIFFICULT IT WAS TO PICK A WINNER IN EACH CATEGORY, SUCH WAS THE HIGH STANDARD.
Well done everyone!
| Senior – Photography Paddy O’Halloran 4th Year “Really interesting capture of a foreign scene. The architecture creates an unusual frame and draws the eye in to the figures at the centre of the composition. Great work.” –Photographer and Film Director Shaun O’Connor | Junior – Photography Jack Cullen 3rd Year “Great use of horizontal lines, drawing the eye in. The contrast from the left to right is striking too. Super composition and super work.” – Photographer and Film Director Shaun O’Connor |
| Senior – Art Tadgh Twomey 5th Year “Highly impressive, imaginative composition is sustained throughout this wonderful children’s storybook creation. The endearing story is depicted in a way that is instantly attractive with its accomplished colour choice, style, perspective and technique.” –Artist Una Collins | Junior – Art Yuzhe Chen 1st Year “Amazing execution of this depiction of the comic-strip hero. Phenomenal attention to detail. The skilled brush-strokes, tone, shading and scale give this painting an immediate an impressive impact. Fantastic.” –Artist Úna Collins |
| Senior – Music Paddy O’Halloran 4th Year “A very complex and interesting piece to uptake, which displayed considerable technique and independence. Rhythmically smooth, the phrasing kept my attention and made for an enjoyable listen. The feel was very authentic and really captured the jazz spirit while at the same time putting your own stamp on the piece. Very well done.” James Downing from The Shruggs | Junior – Music Adrian Toma 2nd Year “Don’t Lie (electronica) is a pleasant onslaught right from beat one, great use of L/R fading and the drop was lovely too. It was never boring and hard to keep still while listening. Catchy hooks, might well be a club classic one day in the future, overall excellent programming.” James Downing from The Shruggs |
| Senior – Poetry & Lyrics Aodh Ó Gallchóir 6th Year “This piece could easily be inside an anthology of poems –and by acclaimed and recognised poets. Brilliant” –Poet Brian O’Driscoll | Junior – Poetry & Lyrics James Connolly 1st Year “Economical and succinct, it’s a typical, recognisable story of a school morning and the poem has great rhythm.” –Poet Brian O’Driscoll |
| Senior – Writing Gerald O’Donovan 6th Year “Gerald’s writing is exceptional. His evocation of time and place with simply stunning prose is reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy’s border trilogy. The authenticity and immediacy of character and situation is of the highest order, like that of Hilary Mantel say, or Denis Johnson. Amazing talent.” -Author Ciarán Collins | Junior – Writing Tom Cullen 2nd Year “Ever popular with younger writers, fantasy is the most prominent genre in the junior entries again this year. Tom is at home in the genre and coupled with his vivid imagination, it made for a thoroughly enjoyable and mysterious work. His skilled use of language to create spectacular imagery is salient in this memorable piece.” -Author Ciarán Collins |
| Senior –Book Review Mark Henchion 4th Year “Mature, economical and well-judged, this review has everything you want from a good book review. Never overstated, it is fit for publication anywhere. The use of comparable novels reflects the writer’s knowledge of both literature and the craft of the book review.” -Author Ciarán Collins | Junior –Book Review Daniel O’Mahony 3rd Year “The writer’s love for the book is infectious in this accomplished review, but it was the highly impressive use of language that was most striking. The literary prowess of the writer of the review is a sure way of instilling confidence in the reader for the recommendation of the novel. Impressive stuff.” -Author Ciarán Collins |
Be Inspired Awards 2019 -The Judges
PHOTOGRAPHY: Shaun O’Connor is an awarding-winning photographer and film director, whose exhibitions and films have had huge success at home and abroad. www.shaunoconnor.com
POETRY: Brian O’Driscoll is a poet, spoken word performer, writer and wordsmith who has appeared at many literary festivals and has had his work published broadly, including the magazine Headspace and Dimezine. www.poetart.com
ART: Úna Collins is a very successful Innishannon-based artist who trained in Mallow College of Art and Design and the Crawford. She has held several exhibitions of her work in Cork and has been invited to show work in various galleries around the country. www.unacollinsartist.com
MUSIC: James Downing is a member of the well-known band The Shruggs, a folk/pop musical duo fast becoming a force to be reckoned with on the Irish music scene. www.theshruggs.wixsite.com/theshruggs
WRITING: Ciarán Collins is mainly known for his award-winning novel The Gamal which was published by Bloombury (2013) and his play Primal which premiered in Cork Arts Theatre in 2019. www.ciarancollinsauthor.com
BE INSPIRED AWARDS – WINNERS -2018/19
B.Row. –Mr. C. Collins, Adam Giles, Eoin O’Donnell, Aodh Ó Gallchóir, Joseph Dennehy, Gerald O’Donovan, Mr. E. O’Brien
F.Row.-Paddy O’Halloran, Hugh O’Mahony, Krill Kaorpov, Dara Ryan, Jack Cullen.
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Senior – Photography Joseph Dennehy 5th Year “I love the layered composition, the use of shape and colour. It’s also slightly abstract, you need to look at it for a while before you understand what’s in the shot. Really nice work” –Photographer and Film Director Shaun O’Connor |
Junior – Photography Jack Cullen 2nd Year “Evocative choice of subject, interesting composition, great use of black and white. And the sun flare on the top right is eye-catching too. Great work.” – Photographer and Film Director Shaun O’Connor |
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Senior – Art Eoin O’Donnell 4th Year “Beautiful, evocative, atmospheric pencil drawing showing a perfect sense of perspective and depth –stunning.” –Artist Una Collins |
Junior – Art Krill Kaorpov 1st Year “Very skilled use of felt-tip pen to create shading and contrast. An aesthetically pleasing work, doing justice to the interesting architecture. Wonderful.” –Artist Úna Collins |
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Senior – Music Adam Giles 4th Year “Wonderful original composition has a very organic development of its melody and accompanying chords and could easily make for a modern pop song fit for radio accompanied by vocals. –A great piece.” –Musican and Film Composer P.J. Rankin |
Junior – Music Paddy O’Halloran 3rd Year “This is a very accomplished take on I giorni by Ludovico Einaudi with interesting trills and musical variations in the phrasing too. A great submission.” –Musican and Film Composer P.J. Rankin |
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Senior – Poetry & Lyrics Aodh Ó Gallchóir 5th Year “A clever and enjoyable poem –one sure to be loved by anyone who’s ever made a speech. The rhyme scheme and rhythm both remind me of one of my favourite modern poets, Clive James. Excellent.” –Author Ciarán Collins |
Junior – Poetry & Lyrics Hugh O’Mahony 1st Year “Lovely, playful poem, showing a mature confidence in the form. Clever use of personification of those clouds before that last line which will give all Irish people a laugh.” –Author Ciarán Collins |
| Senior – Writing
Gerald O’Donovan 5th Year “This short story has it all –pacing, atmosphere, superb evocation of time and place, suspense, characters and technical inventiveness. The maturity and skill of Gerald’s writing is exceptional. Brilliant stuff.” -Author Ciarán Collins |
Junior – Writing
Dara Ryan 1K “Dara’s use of language in highly impressive in this unusual, fascinating, surreal encounter between a boy and an all-powerful magician. It is also an interesting exploration of the corrupting influence of power. A very original and well-executed piece. -Author Ciarán Collins |
Winning entries are posted on the relevant art form’s page on this site.
The Judges
PHOTOGRAPHY: Shaun O’Connor is an awarding-winning photographer and film director, whose exhibitions and films have had huge success at home and abroad. www.shaunoconnor.com
ART: Úna Collins is a very successful local artist who trained in Mallow College of Art and Design and the Crawford. She has held several exhibitions of her work in Cork and has been invited to show work in various galleries around the country. www.unacollinsartist.com
MUSIC: P.J. Rankin is a well-known musician and highly sought-after composer who works mostly in the film industry. www.filmmayo.ie/directory/pj-rankin
POETRY/WRITING: I (Ciarán Collins) am mainly known for my novel The Gamal which was published by Bloombury (2013) www.ciarancollinsauthor.com