PUPILS from a Clonakilty primary school showcased their bilingual rap in Dublin last week, as they won an award at the 2025 ‘Our World’ awards.
Gaeilscoil Mhichíl Choileáin, which recent celebrated its 30th anniversary, was just one of 15 schools in the country to win one of the prestigious prizes at a ceremony in Dublin Castle on Friday May 30th.
Now in its 20th year, the awards are the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s flagship programme with primary schools; the school won for its outstanding and deeply engaging project that blends music, art, research and empathy to explore global issues.
As part of their entry, the pupils came up with a dynamic bilingual rap, which they performed at the awards ceremony where they won the ‘An Iontráil Ghaeilge is Fearr’ award.
The lyrics highlight key UN Sustainable Development Goals creatively switching between Irish and English to raise awareness of poverty, hunger, climate action and sustainable work.
Their powerful verses also highlight the impact of Irish Aid’s work in places like Mozambique, where they tell the story of women who now earn a living by crocheting, using former poaching traps as tools for their craft, turning ‘harm into hope’.
The creative pupils also created a detailed clay model of a Yao village in Mozambique, capturing the essence of life in the Niassa Reserve.
Pieces of creative writing and visual art also accompany the model.
The judges praised the project for its depth, creativity and the pupils’ strong engagement with the educational resources provided and described it as a credit to the pupils, their teachers, and the wider Clonakilty community.
