"The farmers meet the bombers." That's how Alison Graham from Grosvenor Grammar School in east Belfast described students' preconceptions about the link between her school and St Brigid's Secondary School in Killarney, Co Kerry. (And in her accent, "farmers" and "bombers" rhymed!)

The preconceptions were, of course, dispelled at these and more than 100 other schools and youth groups, North and South, which were involved in the Co-operation Ireland Civic-Link initiative. Hundreds of students packed the RDS last Thursday to exhibit their community-based projects and receive plaques for their efforts.

While students spent time in the last few months visiting, consulting with and exchanging text-messages with their cross-Border counterparts, their projects concentrated on problems in their own communities and action-plans to address them. There was a heavy emphasis on traffic, litter and the absence of youth facilities.

This year, for the first time, special-needs schools took part in Civic-Link, which is funded by the departments of education, North and South, and by the US department of education.