Texaco Art

Texaco and other Art Competition winners

The Texaco Art Competition is open to Both Primary and Post -primary schools in Ireland with an annual entry of up to 50,000 Paintings. Many students may already be familiar with the competition form Primary school. Its’ aim is to support and encourage Children Through art. In Gorey Community School we have had great success every year with over the years several of our students taking First Prize and having their work exhibited in Museums and galleries around the country. Each year we receive many commendations and certificates and it has become a very successful part of our school arts calendar.

2002 - 2003 Two of our students Kevin Roche (Click here) and Owen Kenny (Click here) were the first to receive the UTV young artist of the year award as well as overall winners of the Texaco Art Competition also the current GAA crest for Wexford was designed by Kevin Roche (click here) and the National organ donor card was designed by (Jimmy Donellan Click here).

In 2012 Alisha Kirwan won the national Credit Union Art Competition Click HERE for more information.

In 2013 Simon Mineas wins the Texaco Art Competition Click HERE for more information.

In 2014 two of our students Maeve O’Callaghan and Kayleigh Byrne reached the final of Doodle4Google art competition.

Blaithin Cosgrave - Cat B - Special Merit

Overall Winner - Simon Minias - Cat A - 1st

2011

2012

2013

2014

Previous Winners

Talbot Wexford artist of the year 2014

Aoibhinn Kinsella (3rd year)- Talbot Wexford artist of the year 2014 (Junior category)
Runner up – Kate Millar (2nd year)

David Monaghan (5th year)-Talbot Wexford artist of the year 2014 (Senior category)
Runner up - Janne Strydom (5th year)

Finalists

Nicole Redmond(5th year)
Guste Vastakaite(5th year)
Maeve O’Callaghan(6th year)
Weroniks Piwka(5th year)
Aliesha Kirwan(5th year)
Hanna Kenny(2nd year)
Katie-Louise Murray(3rd year)
Ally Yu(2nd year)
Sarah Lynch(2nd year)

The work of the above was showcased at the Talbot Hotel Wexford during the Wexford Opera Festival, 22nd October through to the 2nd November. Congratulations all 13 finalists and to the 4 overall winners.

Click here for further information.

RTE2 News2day in conjunction with Texaco feature GCS Art Department

RTE2 News2day in conjunction with Bronagh Carran from Texaco and Paul McCloskey GCS Art Department film students at work to promote this National Competition.

Click image above to watch video.

Click HERE to read News2day Blog on GCS/Texaco

Gorey Community School

At the forefront of education in North Wexford since 1993

Gorey Community School

Janne Srtydom - Wexford Harbour - Cat A - 3rd prize

Aoibhinn Kinsella - Special Merit - Cat B

Congratulations

to GCS student Janne Srtydom 5thyr
on winning 3rd place (overall Cat A) in this
years Texaco Art Competition (2014) With her
stunning painting of Wexford Harbour. Janne's painting is a stunning acrylic work showing Wexford from the northside of the bridge her art teacher Mr. McClokey said.
Also congratulations to Aoibhinn Kinsella
3rd yr, Bethany Braham TY and Alannah
Cheong who won Spcial Merit Awards.

Wexford County Council Environmental Section Art Competition
Congratulations to the following students from G.C.S. won awards in the Wexford County Council Environmental Section Art Competition 2015:
JUNIOR CERT SECTION (1st - 3rd Year) 2nd Place: Joanne Fleming (2nd Yr) 3rd Place: Doireann Cullen H.C. : Joely Gibney Elliot (2nd Yr)
OVERALL WINNER SECONDARY SCHOOLS: BARRY KENNY (2nd Yr)
All the winning entries have been on exhibition throughout the county over the summer. Presently on display in Gorey Library, ending Friday 18th September.

Congratulations to Vivien Ryan who was awarded ‘Talbot Artist of the Year 2015’ and also to Janne Strydom runner up, also huge congratulations to Sophie O'Callaghan, Aoibhinn Kinsella, Charis Kenna,Catherine McDonald and Sarah Costello 7 of 8 finalists in the senior Talbot Artist of the year Award were GCS students said their art teacher Mr. Paul McCloskey.

Click HERE for further information

Talbot Artist of the year Award 2015

Talbot Artist of the Year 2016

Congratulations to Mignon Strydom(left) who won first place in 'TALBOT ARTIST OF THE YEAR' as part of this years Opera Festival also congratulations to Aoibhinn Kinsella (right) who claimed second prize and to Matthew Goff (centre) who was runner up. Their art teacher Mr. McCloskey said, all three students are vey talented and fully deserve their awards.

2016 - Congratulations to Amanda Dobre 2nd year who won 1st place in the Wexford County Council Bio-Diversity art competition and also to Amy Francis 2nd year who won 2nd place in this years competition.

2016 - GCS 5th year student Vivien Ryan's artwork has been selected as the Senior Post-Primary winner in the Ireland 2016 All Island Art Competition entitled 'Imagining the Ireland of 2116' which is a partnership initiative between the Department of Education & Skills, the Department of Education Northern Ireland, the National Gallery of Ireland and the Education Centre Network.....Her work will be exhibited in the National Gallery, Dublin in the coming months said her art teacher Mr. McCloskey....click HERE to see this amazing work.

Click HERE for further information

Maeve O’Callaghan and Kayleigh Byrne were finalists in the doodle 4 google art competition 2014 their artwork was selected from thousands of entries and narrowed to 15 within their group.

Maeve O’Callaghan

Kayleigh Byrne

Doodle 4 Google Finalists

A beautiful painting by Gorey Community School student Lucy Fahy has been selected to illustrate the 2017 Texaco Children's Art Calendar. Lucy’s study titled 'Harbour' which won a special merit award was one of 13 works chosen to illustrate the commemorative publication. Celebrating its 63rd anniversary of the Texaco Children’s Art competition. Her piece features on the month of May page in the calendar. 'It will be seen in thousands of homes throughout Ireland in 2017' said her art teacher Mr. McCloskey.
Calendars are available through a select number of Texaco service stations countrywide and through Texoil, Valero's home-heating oil division.
Last year the stunning work ‘Wexford Harbour’ by Janne Strydom (GCS student of Mr. McCloskey) received 3rd Prize overall and the image was used in all advertising posters, it has now become a permanent feature of The Texaco Children's Art Collection....click HERE for further information.

GCS STUDENT LUCY FAHY'S PAINTING SELECTED FOR TEXACO CALENDAR

Talbot Artist of the Year 2017 (Junior Category)

Pictured - Ashley Hennessy 'Talbot Artist of the Year'

Huge congratulations to Gorey Community School student Ashley Hennessy (2nd Year) who was crowned ‘Talbot Artist of the Year’ (Junior Section) and Aoibhinn Kinsella (5th Year) who was runner up, at a special ceremony at the Talbot Hotel in Wexford. 'We at Gorey Community School are delighted with Ashley's success' said her art teacher Mr. Paul McCloskey

The ‘Talbot Artist of the Year’ is an annual award given by the Talbot Hotel in conjunction with the ‘Opera Festival’

Overall winner in the Secondary School section was Aleksandra Piwka 3rd year from Gorey Community School. Congratulations to Ashley Hennessy 3rd year who came first in junior category while Béibhinn O'Brien 3rd came second (all students of Mr. McCloskey) and Alice Kovalchouk 2nd year(student of MS. Cadagon) came 3rd.
Click HERE for more information

GCS WIN OVERALL, FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD PLACE IN BIODIVERSITY 2018 ART COMPETITION

Huge congratulations to Aoibhinn Kinsella sixth year who won the ‘2nd Round Chapter Final’ of the Credit Union Poster Competition. She was presented with her award on Wednesday 10th January in the Credit Union Offices in New Ross. Aoibhinn has a history of doing very well in this and other art competitions said her art teacher Mr. Paul McCloskey.

AOIBHINN KINSELLA WINS 2018 CREDIT UNION POSTER COMPETITION

GCS WIN TOP PRIZES IN TALBOT ARTIST OF THE YEAR ART COMPETITION

2018Huge congratulations to Gorey Community School students Ciara Sharp 2nd year on winning first place in the Junior secondary school category and Alannah Brennan 5th year who won first place in the senior secondary school of this year’s ‘Talbot Artist of the Year competition’ run by the Talbot Hotel in conjunction with the Wexford Opera Festival.
Also huge congratulations to Doireann Cullen who was runner up in the senior section, congratulations also to Theodora Lande, Sinead Breen and Aoife Kavanagh 2nd year who were finalists in the Junior category and to Areeya Deenam and Megan Cullen 5th year who were finalists in the senior category. Their art teacher Mr. McCloskey said he was very proud of his students achievement. Jenny Werner from the Talbot Hotel said ‘The Talent and the creativity of all the entries absolutely blew us away again this year’
General Manager, Dick Walsh said “The Wexford Opera Festival attracts a large number of local and overseas visitors each year. This is a fantastic way to showcase the talents of our young people during the Festival.” A special reception, for all finalists, was held at the Talbot Hotel Wexford where General Manager Dick Walsh presented the primary and secondary school students with their prizes.
All winners and runners up received an engraved trophy each along with a selection of art materials from Spectrum Art and Framing Wexford. The artwork from the four winners will be framed and kept on display in the hotel. Now in its fifth year, the ‘Talbot Hotel Artist of the Year competition’ receives entries from primary and secondary school students from around the country.
This year, after hundreds of entries, finalists were chosen in four categories and their artworks were displayed in the Talbot Hotel for the duration of the Wexford Festival Opera. A spokesperson for the Talbot Hotel said that the entries received fantastic praise from international guests staying in the hotel during festival season.

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Pictured above - Naoise Hennessy with her winning entry - Talbot Artist Of The Year 2020

Huge congratulations to Naoise Hennessy 6th year who was overall winner of
the 'Talbot Artist Of The Year 2020' and also to 3rd year student Aoife O'Dowd
who was runner up in the Junior category.

The winners were selected by Guest Judge, Don
Conroy who said, 'the standard was so high this year' 'We received over 200 FANTASTIC entries to this year's competition - thank you to all such talented students for taking part. Our judge had a difficult task choosing the winners and runners up!

Their teacher Mr. Paul McCloskey said, 'Gorey Community School has a great
record of winning this competition' see below.

Click images to enlarge

GCS WIN TALBOT ARTIST OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2020

ALANNAH BRENNAN WINS SPECIAL MERIT @ TEXACO

Congratulations to Leaving Cert Applied student Alannah Brennan on winning a Special Merit Award in Catagory A , Texaco Art Competition 2020. Alannah was also the 2018 Talbot Artist Of The Year Well done Alannah! Her art teacher Ms Devereux says' we at GCS are very proud of Alannah.

Huge congratulations to our very talented 5th year student Erin McKevitt from Mr. McCloskey’s class who received a Certificate of Commendation for her outstanding contribution to ‘RTE THIS IS ART 2022’ competition.

Click HERE for more information.

RTE THIS IS ART 2022’ Competition

Texaco Art 2022 Win for 10 GCS Students

Huge congratulations to ten of Mr. McCloskey’s 6th year students who received Highley Commended Certificates for their entries to the Texaco Art Competition.

Left to right – Daniella Udre, Erin McKevitt (winner of highly commended award for 'This Is Art' RTE competition, Adam Boyle, Ava Callaghan, Mr. Finn (Principal) Megan Tomkins, Ciara Hall, Zoe Reid, Aleksandra Szwak and in separate photo Sarah Kearney.

Left - Laoise Hamill pictured with her winning entry
Huge congratulations to 6th GCS student Laoise Hamill a student from Mr. Paul McCloskey’s art class, who won second prize @ IT Carlow's Wexford School of Art and Design Art Competition.
IT Carlow launched their first Wexford Schools' Art Competition earlier this year and the theme of the art competition was 'The Year 2020'. ‘We were delighted with the response we received from schools across Co. Wexford’ said Dr. Sandra Walsh, Education Liaison Officer To everyone who submitted entries, well done and thank you for your participation. The creative and thoughtful responses were very inspiring, and we would encourage each of you to continue with your artistic interests in the future. We would also like to extend our appreciation to the school staff who supported their students to enter.

Category B - second prize (€350) was won by Amy Boylan (14), from Gorey Community School, Co Wexford, for her artwork entitled My Best Friend, Halle.
Huge congratulations to Amy Boylan 2nd year a student of Mr. McCloskey who entered the 63rd Texaco art competition this year 2017 securing second prize (€350) in category B, for her artwork entitled 'My Best Friend, Halle'

Congratulations to Ms Cadogan’s Transition Year Art students who won 2nd place in the Group Section of the RTE This is Art competition. This competition is run by RTÉ in conjunction with the Creative Ireland Programme and the theme for 2021 is This is Now. Almost 9,000 young people from around the country responded to this theme with creativity, enthusiasm and thoughtfulness. The Transition Year Artwork is called ‘Cornonavirus through Charcoal’.

The work involved a large number of Transition students creating individual self-portraits while wearing masks. These portraits were created with charcoal and the end result was a dark and moody atmosphere, representative of these strange times. A selection from the individual pieces were then formatted into one Artwork and submitted as a group entry. The school wins a €2000 bursary and workshops for students with a visiting artist.

Wexford Schools' Art Competition

RTE THIS IS ART 2022’ Competition

Texaco Art Award

Talbot Artist Of The Year 2022

Huge congratulations to Megan Tomkins, Aleksandra Szwak, Aoife Scully, Aoife O’Dowd and Yasmine Allain on reaching the final of these years ‘Talbot Artist Of The year Award’ especially to Aoife O’Dowd who was this year’s runner up, they attended a prize giving ceremony with their art teacher Mr. McCloskey last Saturday where they were treated to afternoon tea. Students received vouchers, trophies and gold medals.
pictured left to right - Megan Tomkins, Aleksandra Szwak, Aoife Scully, Aoife O’Dowd and Yasmine Allain