AMY McLoughlin, a senior-cycle student at St Patrick’s Comprehensive School in Shannon, has won a two-week scholarship to Salzburg, Austria.
Along with her classmates, Amy entered a German essay-writing competition, organised annually by the Irish Austrian Society. This competition is open to all secondary schools in Ireland.
From over 300 applicants, Amy won the senior category of the competition. Her essay was selected by university lecturers and commended for its originality and its high standard of German.
Amy received her scholarship at a reception hosted by the Austrian Ambassador, Dr Thomas Nader, at the Austrian Embassy in Dublin.
In attendance with Amy at the ceremony were her family andher German teacher, Ms Siobhan Hickey, who stood in for St Patrick’s headmaster, Mr Morgan Heaphy.
The scholarship comprises of air travel, tuition in German and board and accommodation for two weeks in July 2014 in the ISK (Internationale Sprachkurse) in Salzburg.
The ISK is a well-known centre for students of German, under the patronage of the University of Salzburg.
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.