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Talented Arklow students charm crowds at National Speech and Drama finals

Leo Dixon and Annabelle Gray from Arklow at the Speech and Drama Teachers of Ireland Feis finals.

Lucy Geraghty.

Kate Geraghty, who came in first plcae in the Seamus Heaney Special Award.

Taylor Brauders.

Molly Farrell and Georgia Redmond.

thumbnail: Leo Dixon and Annabelle Gray from Arklow at the Speech and Drama Teachers of Ireland Feis finals.
thumbnail: Lucy Geraghty.
thumbnail: Kate Geraghty, who came in first plcae in the Seamus Heaney Special Award.
thumbnail: Taylor Brauders.
thumbnail: Molly Farrell and Georgia Redmond.
Eoin Mac Raghnaill
© Wicklow People

Arklow had a huge representation at this year’s Speech and Drama Teachers of Ireland Feis finals at the Talbot Hotel in Stillorgan, with competitors from Sinead Riley’s Speech and Drama Group bringing home a haul of awards in various creative disciplines.

Formed in 1982, the Speech and Drama Teachers of Ireland, a professional non-profit organization for qualified and trainee teachers of Speech and Drama, is committed to encouraging and promoting the highest standards of teaching and learning in the areas of performance, creativity, and communication.

This year, Arklow’s qualifying students gathered at the Dublin venue, polished up and ready for the live finals, captivating adjudicators and audiences alike with their outstanding performances and presentations, spanning many fields of creativity and displaying their exceptional craft.

Tutored and prepared by local teacher Sinead Riley, these exceptional competitors left their mark on the stage, with Kate Geraghty claiming first prize in the Seamus Heaney Special Award for her moving and powerful recitals of two well-known Heaney favourites, Blackberry Picking and Mid-Term Break.

Ella Kelly (11) was awarded first place in the Paint a Poem competition for her painting, The Listeners, which she created in response to Walter de la Mare’s famous poem, ‘Amazing Work of Art.

“Very captivating – the artist has created a mysterious and eerie atmosphere, which reflects the atmosphere created in the poem,” adjudicator Ana Boles said.

Méabh Riley placed 4th in the WB Yeats Award with her thoughtful and beautifully delivered version of September 1913, while Lucy Geraghty, ranking in the same position for her monologue, Little Red, in the under 8’s category, also received special mention.

Leo Dixon and Annabelle Gray (U12) mesmerized listeners with their duologues from ‘Somewhere Nowhere’ by Lindsay Price and in the U10 category, Molly Farrell and Georgia Redmond did a fantastic job with their dual performance of My Big Sister’s First Date.

Charming the room with her poetry recital and monologue, Taylor Brauders, U11, was also commended for her exceptional performances of The Secret Garden and My Shadow. Juliette Dempsey, outstanding in her TV presentation, prepared a news report on the topic of Potholes in Cork.