Four Cork champions of circular living were recently honoured at the inaugural Circular.ie Full Circle Awards. They included Ballymoney NS in Ballineen and slow fashion brand Re.Cut, based in Ballydehob.
Ballymoney NS: Young Circular Star Runner-Up
ADVERTISEMENT
The two-teacher primary school, Ballymoney NS, was a runner-up in the Young Circular Star category. This award celebrates children and young people leading the way in sustainability and circular thinking—in school, at home, or in their community.
Students, aged four to 12, lead initiatives such as:
- Growing vegetables
- Harvesting rainwater
- Composting
- Raising hens
The school also actively supports the Tidy Towns Committee through litter collection, tree planting, and water quality testing. In 2024, Ballymoney NS received the International Creativity in Schools Award for its innovative climate education.
Re.Cut and its Founder: Circular Community Champion Runner-Up
Abalonia Blue Koomans O’Reilly from Ballydehob, the founder of Re.Cut, was a runner-up in the Circular Community Champion category, which honours people who lead or support community initiatives.
The innovative young designer works with upcycled fabrics in her designs, selling them via online marketplaces including Depop and Etsy. Abalonia embraced sustainability at a young age, having attended a Steiner school focused on learning through nature and growing up on an organic farm.
Her community work includes:
- Running monthly Swap Shop Socials
- Teaching mending and upcycling
- Playing a leading role in the Ballydehob Repair Café
As part of BALLYDONUTS (Doughnut Economics Group), she also co-created DANU, a prize-winning art installation highlighting sustainability and mental health.
Other Cork Success Stories
Two other Cork people were celebrated at the awards:
- Aisling Kett from Cork City, who won the Circular Community Champion category.
- Shannen Healy from Co Cork, a content creator known as Greengal, was a runner-up in two categories: the Reuse and Repair Hero and the Circular Living Advocate categories.
The Full Circle Awards, now in their first year, are presented by Circular.ie, which is funded by the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment through the Circular Economy Fund. You can follow the campaign on social media @CIRCULAR.IE.
