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Mental Health Ireland Art Competition

Every year there is a mental health week in Ireland
throughout the schools and public.
Its focus is on promoting and explaining to young and old
alike the importance of good mental health. It wants to
teach the public about mental illness and make them aware
of how to help people who need it.

One aspect of the week is an art competition to design a
cover with a theme to do with mental health.

Every year there is one winner from each province in Ireland
and then a national winner is picked at a gathering of all the
finalists in Dublin.
This year Emmeline Cosnett (transition year pupil) won for
Ulster and is going through to enter the national finals in
Trinity College on 31st March.

There is a prize of €250 for the national winner and €50 each
for the regional finalists!

Well worth a try next year! And the best of luck for Emmeline!
By Emmeline Cosnett

Irish Dancing

Hello, my name is Rebecca Marsden. I am twelve years old. My favourite hobby is Irish
dancing. I dance for the Ard-Rialla /O’Donoghue School of Irish Dancing in Belturbet,
Co. Cavan and in Dublin. Most of my dancing classes are in Belturbet and they last
around two and a half to three hours.
I dance every morning before I get the bus at twenty to eight. My mum Avril makes my
dancing dresses. I attend Feiseanna (Irish dancing competition) every month or two.
It can be stressful getting ready for competitions as I have to get my tan and makeup
done, and as well as getting ready my wig, dress and shoes. I use special sock glue to
stick my socks to my legs so that they won’t fall down when I ‘m dancing and so that
the judges won’t mark me down in points.
I’m now at the highest level in Irish dancing which is called Ard Grad.

Every year I dance at the Ulster Championship to see if I can qualify for the World
Championships, but sadly I was only two places from qualifying, so I will only be
dancing my team dance on the 2nd April at the World Championship.
I have achieved many things like getting 28th out of 171 girls in one particular dance
in the All Ireland Championships. I have won the Ulster Championships, but someday I
would like to be World Champion. I absolutely love Irish dancing and couldn’t imagine
my life without it.
By Rebecca Marsden

The Royal Times 2011-2012 11