Poetry in Motion: Seamus Heaney Award for Achievement

St Catherine’s Scoops Seamus Heaney Poetry Award Again!

The Poetry in Motion Schools programme 2024/2025 was organised by the Community Arts Partnership, an independent advocate for community arts which takes the lead in the promotion, development and delivery of community arts practice, to affect positive change.

The Post-Primary sector winners, St Catherine’s College, Armagh, had their poetry published in the ‘All Write Now!’ Poetry In Motion Schools anthology and they became the proud and honoured recipients of The Seamus Heaney Award for Achievement 2025. This is the second time the school has been given the award.

Not only did the school secure the top prize for the school, Caoimhe McAlary was also selected as the Post-Primary Individual winner. Caoimhe’s poem ‘They Knew Me’.was inspired by the legend of Lí Ban, the immortal mermaid of Lough Neagh.

Class teacher, Mrs Helen Donnelly from St Catherine’s College, Armagh said: “We were absolutely delighted to win the Seamus Heaney Schools Award! There were so many amazing entries from schools across the country and I don’t think our pupils expected to win it, but it certainly was a pleasant surprise! As their English teacher, I am so incredibly proud of each and every one of the girls and their achievements – they are a credit to themselves, their community and our school.”

Pictured here are the proud Winners of the Seamus Heaney Award for Achievement in Poetry. They are pictured with their English teacher, Mrs Helen Donnelly.

Winner of the Post Primary Seamus Heaney Award for Poetry, Caoimhe McAlary.