Emily buzzes into national final

WHEN it comes to spelling, young Shannon girl Emily Meehan is in a league of her own.
The St John’s Primary School pupil has backed up her success at county level by earning the right to represent the province at the Spelling Bee All-Ireland final, to be held in the RTÉ studios later this week, where the national champion will be crowned live on RTÉ 2fm’s Tubridy.
If she manages to secure that accolade, 12-year-old Emily will win a library of books for her school.
The Eason Spelling Bee with Tubridy, now in its second year, once again teamed up with RTÉ 2fm to deliver Ireland’s ultimate spelling contest and together have made it bigger and better than before. This year saw the introduction of the County Bees, which took place in each of the 32 counties nationwide, followed by four provincial finals broadcast live on RTÉ 2fm’s Tubridy, culminating in the grand final this Friday.
Speaking at the Munster Spelling Bee in the Strand Hotel, Ryan Tubridy said, “Munster kids certainly can spell – an incredible standard of spelling that puts us adults to shame. Congratulations to Emily and we, the Tubridy team, look forward to welcoming her to RTÉ this Friday for the grand final.”
The Spelling Bee is one of many Eason initiatives seeking to encourage kids to perfect their spelling and to hone their pronunciation skills. Eason aims to encourage literacy, which is a crucial part of the primary school curriculum as primary-school children from all across Ireland challenge their spelling abilities. It also aids in the improvement of their own confidence and in turn promotes a greater appreciation of words.