Tullamore student awarded at national legal essay competition
Sacred Heart School student Angelina Sewell won a merit award in the Law Society Gráinne O’Neill Memorial Legal Essay Competition 2025
The Tullamore student placed in the top six essays, and was awarded both a merit certificate and a medal to mark her success.
Fellow Sacred Heart School students Alannah Lydon, Ciara Chambers, Elizabeth Aubin and Grace Cleary were also among the top 30 students to reach the final of the competition.
Kerry Transition Year (TY) student Hazel Barrett from Presentation Secondary School, Listowel, was selected as the overall winner of the national Gráinne O’Neill Memorial Legal Essay Competition 2025.
The annual competition is organised in honour of Gráinne O'Neill, from the Retreat Road, Athlone. A district court judge and a hugely popular figure in Athlone, Gráinne died in 2018, following an illness.
Now in its third year, the annual competition invites TY students from across the country to submit a 1,500-word legal essay on a specific topic.
This year, over 350 essays were submitted by students from 52 schools across 16 counties, each exploring the topic: “The role the law can play in addressing Hate Crime”.
President of the Law Society, Eamon Harrington, said, “This year’s topic challenged students to explore how our laws respond to hatred and discrimination in society. Their essays demonstrated an understanding of the role that legislation can play in protecting marginalised groups and promoting inclusion for all in society.
“Through the competition students are encouraged to research, reflect and critically apply their learnings to this complex legal issue. The judges were impressed with the breadth of ideas and considered arguments put forward by students.
“The Law Society remains committed to widening early access to legal education for young people from all backgrounds. Congratulations to all students who entered, and in particular to this year’s finalists and winners. We hope many of them will continue their legal education, continue to ask questions and consider a future career in law.”