Dooneen sunset steals Star readers' hearts

A STRIKINGLY-colourful sunset photographed on Monday, January 11th last year, by Benchawan Thompson at Dooneen, Castletownshend, Skibbereen, has been chosen by Southern Star readers as their 2016 Picture of the Year.

During the past year, the Canvas Works in Kinsale has come on board as sponsor of the Reader’s Picture of the Week, on the back page of the first section of this newspaper. The 2016 overall winner Benchawan will be receiving a canvas print of her winning entry, together with a cheque for €100.

There was also a competition for readers who sent in their top three nominations for the 2016 Picture of the Year, and the winner of this €100 prize is Victor Lovell of Knockbrown, Bandon. 

At the end of last year, an internal panel of judges picked out their top twelve monthly choices for 2016 and they were published in the edition of December 31st last, inviting readers to vote for their top three of the year in order of preference. The Southern Star Reader’s Picture of the Week is as popular a feature as ever more that six years later and the standard of the photographs proves that entrants have a keen eye for a good picture.

Canvas Works Picture of the Week submissions, received up to midday on Mondays, will be considered for that week’s edition; the judges’ decision will be final and no discussion or correspondence will be entered into regarding entries. Send your pictures as high-resolution jpg attachments – approx 1MB – by e-mail (Subject: Picture of the Week) to [email protected] with a detailed caption (who, what, when, where) and your contact details: name, address and phone number. 

Finally, we remember The Southern Star 2015 Picture of the Year winner, Marie Goggin of Adrigole, Beara, whose untimely death took place during the past year. May she rest in peace.