Athlone students among honours at Gráinne O'Neill memorial essay contest
A student from Our Lady's Bower has been awarded third place in a national legal essay competition honouring the memory of the late Judge Gráinne O'Neill from Athlone.
Bower student Niamh Doyle took the third place prize in this year's annual competition, while Muhammad Ibrahim Tariq, from the Marist College in Athlone, won a merit award. Anna Henshaw, from Our Lady's Bower, also attended the event as a finalist.
Rhea Schreiber from Sacred Heart Secondary School in Tullamore claimed at the top award at a special ceremony for the finalists which was held at the Law Society in Dublin on Wednesday, May 6.
Now in its fourth year, the annual competition invites Transition Year (TY) students from across the country to submit a 1,500-word legal essay on a specific topic.
This year, over 500 essays were submitted by students from 67 schools across 20 counties, each exploring the topic: 'Protecting Voices, Preventing Harm: Legal Challenges in Online Freedom of Speech'.
The Gráinne O’Neill Memorial Legal Essay Competition honours the life and legacy of the late judge from Retreat Road in Athlone.
The competition aims to inspire legal learning amongst students across the country, by encouraging them consider contemporary justice issues, and legal matters that they might encounter in their daily lives.
In 2014, Gráinne O'Neill became the youngest judge in Ireland when she was appointed to the District Court. She died in 2018 following a period of illness but, during her life and especially during her years as a judge, Gráinne worked diligently to apply the law in a fair, rigorous, and compassionate manner.
President of the Law Society, Rosemarie Loftus, said: "The Gráinne O’Neill Legal Essay Competition is a highlight in the Law Society's public legal education events calendar each year.
"It is an opportunity to engage with students from every corner of Ireland, to encourage them to consider law and legal concepts, and to provide them with an opportunity to reflect on how these might relate to their daily lives.
"This year’s topic, 'Protecting Voices, Preventing Harm: Legal Challenges in Online Freedom of Speech', is particularly relevant in our modern world.
"Students were invited to explore how we balance our laws and rights when it comes to freedom of speech, preventing harm and how this translates to social media.
"The judges were impressed the breadth of ideas and structured arguments put forward. Hundreds of students rose to the challenge, and it was heartening to read so many considered essays, identify individual thinking and to be enlightened by a younger persons' perspective and understanding of the legal challenges that online freedom of speech can bring.
"Congratulations to all students who took part, with special recognition for this year’s finalists and winners. We hope many will go on to pursue legal studies, remain curious, and consider a future in the field of law," she added.
As a result of being selected as the overall winner, Tullamore student Rhea Schreiber won a €1,000 prize and a cup for her school.