Beaming mothers dressed to kill and excited children make up the most of the 600-strong crowd at the Texaco Children's Art Competition awards ceremony in the Burlington Hotel. Big bold paintings and drawings in bright colours decorate the walls and the children scurry to find their own masterpiece on display. The exhibition is now in its 47th year. The 170 prizewinners have come from all over Ireland for their 15 seconds of fame and everyone's on their best behaviour for the day. A smiling Ian Dempsey, Today FM presenter and Master of Ceremonies for the event, greets the crowd and congratulates them on getting the day off school.
The photographers gather around 18-year-old Emma Brannigan from Mount Sackville School in Castleknock, Dublin, winner of the top award. Dressed in her blue school uniform, the fifth-year student is the star of the day, and the happy recipient of the £1,500 cheque for her acclaimed painting of a saxophone.
Presenting the prizes is John C.Lynn, chairman and managing director of Texaco (Ireland) Ltd. He's helped in his duties by Mary Coughlan TD, Minister of State for Art, Heritage and the Islands. After lunch, former director of the Irish Museum of Modern Art and head adjudicator of the competition, Declan McGonagle, takes the podium to give an overview of the competition, and while he heaps critical praise onto the young entrants he can't help but notice that most of the audience are now happily drawing and doodling on the tablecloths with the contents of their newly acquired art boxes. By this stage of the day things are getting messy and the once-grand room is strewn with the confetti of the children's lunch - bits of chips, chicken nuggets and green jelly in the most conspicuous of places.
Twelve-year-old Eoin O'Keeffe from Gorey, winner of the 9-to-11-year-old category, attracts great interest for his prize-winning sketch of an old man, described as "skilful and powerful" by McGonagle. His parents, Marian and Jerry O'Keeffe, younger brother Sam and younger sister Maeve accompany him. Leitrim girl Orlaith McGrath, winner of the under 6 category is the youngest winner.
Sitting at the top table alongside the Deputy Lord Mayor, Gary Keegan, are the three judges of the competition, whose job it was to pick the winners from the 40,000 entries, Denise Ferranof the Ulster Museum, and Kay O'Brien and Eoin Butler from St Patrick's Training College, Dublin. Former chairman and managing director of Texaco Vincent O'Brien is here with his wife, Sheila. Having entered the competition three times to no avail in her younger years, Network 2's Den TV presenter Lara Lenehen is very impressed with the talent on display and claims to hold no grudge.