St. Joseph’s National School named School of the Year
We are incredibly proud to share that St. Joseph’s National School was named School of the Year at the ‘2026 Our World Awards National Finals’ in UCD, where over 530 schools from across Ireland took part.
What started in our Summer Camp quickly grew into a whole-school project throughout the year. At the centre of it was one important message: the future of our world is shaped by the choices we make every day.
Led and designed by Mr. Molloy, our large-scale installation at the entrance to the school contrasted two futures: a ‘Dead World’ shaped by pollution and neglect, and a ‘Living World’ built through positive and sustainable choices. Inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the installation brought environmental learning to life through art, SESE, music, drama, outdoor learning, and pupil voice across every class level.
The national judges were so impressed by the children’s Summer Camp performance that our pupils were invited to perform it live at the national awards ceremony in UCD.
The performance, “Our World, Our Choice, Actions Speak Louder Than Words,” led and created by Mr. Finnegan, shared a powerful message about how our choices and actions shape the world around us.
Judges praised our students work for its clarity, ambition and its ability to make making big global issues easy for children to understand and connect with in a creative and meaningful way.
Alongside the overall School of the Year Award, our school also received the Rising Star Award, which recognises schools for creative work connected to Irish Aid themes and the Sustainable Development Goals.
We are extremely proud of all the children who represented our school with such confidence, enthusiasm and respect throughout the day. A huge thank you to our staff, parents, and wider school community for their continued support in helping bring this work to life.
