The winners of the ESSO Schools' Wildlife Challenge, which were announced last week in Belfast are Ballycahill National School, Thurles,Co Tipperary. The other finalists are Coolbock National School, Co Sligo; Newtownbutler Primary School, Co Fermanagh; Scoil Bhride National School, Co Kildare; St Aloysius Primary School, Co Antrim and St Anne's Primary School, Belfast.
The Harcourt Street Line website, which won first prize in a national web design competition, may be visited at http:// www.stmaryscollegecssp.ie/ It was designed by the students of St Mary's College, Rathmines, who researched the line, interviewed employees and recorded information. They came first in the Spin-a-Web competition for second-level schools organised by TCD and sponsored by Microsoft.
The website covers the construction of the line, which ran between 1854 and 1958, its opening, its trains, accidents, its stations and its closure. Passengers and former employees, including a survivor of the fatal 1957 Dundrum crash, were interviewed.
Next Saturday the National Gallery of Ireland will open its doors to families. Admission is free, between 10.30 a.m. and 5.00 p.m, for all those who want to attend a day of music, song, dance and art classes.
Visitors will be welcomed outside by the MaSamba Drummers and the Street Theatre Carnival. During the day there will be drawing classes for children aged between 8 and 12 and art classes for younger children also.
Autograph hunters who read will want to catch all the visiting authors of children's books who will be available to sign copies of their books in Dublin on Sunday morning between 9.30 a.m. and 10.30 a.m. They will be attending the ninth annual Children's Literature Summer School, which takes place this weekend at the Dublin Writers' Museum in Parnell Square. The line-up of writers includes Anthony Browne who has been writing and illustrating his own children's books since 1975 and Gillian Cross whose books include the Demon Headmaster series. Other writers include Geoff Fox, Gregory Maguire and Michelle Magorian.
The school choir at Mount Sackwille Secondary School in Chapelizod, Dublin 20, under the baton of Aideen Lane, won first prize in the post-primary equal voice competition at the recent Cork International Choral Festival. The choir was also awarded the John Cunningham Trophy for best overall school choir at the festival, which took place at the end of April. The choir also holds the current Telecom Eireann Schools' Choral Trophy.
Second-level students who want to get a taste of third-level education can take part in a Discovery University Programme. Organised by the National College of Ireland, in association with UCD, it will run in June between Monday, 14th and Friday, 18th, at a cost of £120 per student. For more information on the DUP contact NCI, Sandford Road, Dublin 6 or phone (01) 406 8128.
Clifden Community School in Co Galway will hold an open day this Friday to mark its foundation 25b years ago. All past pupils are welcome to attend. The open day, which will run between 11.00 a.m. and 2.00 p.m, starts a weekend of celebrations, including an anniversary dance.
