Donard National School, Co Wexford – National Winners of Something Fishy

Press Release June 17th, 2011.

5th and 6th Classes of Donard National School today received their award for being the National Winners of Inland Fisheries Irelands, Something Fishy completion for their entry : Something Fishy – the Musical. At a prize giving ceremony at Wexford Education Centre in Enniscorthy, Brian Malone , Wexford Senior Footballer, presented the school and children with their awards. The musical includes songs and dances about fish life in the local Boro river, the causes of pollution and rehabilitation as well the role of Inland Fisheries Ireland.

The competition has been run over the last 6 years nationwide and this year over 160 schools took part, reaching over 7000 individual students. “Something Fishy” is an educational resource originally designed and promoted by the Central and Regional Fisheries Boards, now Inland Fisheries Ireland, in conjunction with Blackrock Educational Centre. “Something Fishy” is aimed at fifth and sixth class students at primary level. It is based on the life cycle of salmon and gets students to explore, water, fish, fish stocks, angling, conservation of rivers and lakes and fish as part of the food chain. As well as class based work Fishery officers take students into the ‘field’ to get hands on experience of their work.

‘We have our own Glee club here in Donard’ commented Dr Ciaran Byrne, CEO of Inland Fisheries Ireland, ‘it is evident that the children have learned so much through participating in this project and what they bring with them will help in the conservation of our rivers in years to come’.

Schools taking part in the program was asked to produce a class project based on any part of ‘Something Fishy.’ The projects ranged from posters, poems, stories, drawings songs, documentaries and science experiments. The students demonstrated imagination and an extensive level of both understanding and learning from the projects that were entered.

The “Something Fishy” program is continuing for the 2011/12 year and packs are available in both English and Irish. The packs are supported by an interactive website: www.somethingfishy.ie . All involved in “Something Fishy” would like to thank the teachers, children, co-coordinators and fishery officers who help make this years competition so successful. Inland Fisheries Ireland and all the staff at Blackrock Educational Centre hope that the interest and standard of entries for the 2012 competition will be just as high.

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Media Enquiries:

Suzanne Campion
Head of Business Development
Inland Fisheries Ireland
Anglesea Street,
Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.

Tel: 052 6180055 Fax: 052 6123971
Email: suzanne.campion@fisheriesireland.ie Website: www.fisheriesireland.ie

Notes to Editor

Inland Fisheries Ireland is a statutory body operating under the aegis of the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and was established under the Fisheries Act on 1st July 2010. Its principal function is the protection and conservation of the inland fisheries resource. IFI will promote, support, facilitate and advise the Minister on, the conservation, protection, management, development and improvement of inland fisheries, including sea angling and develop and advise the Minister on policy and national strategies relating to inland fisheries and sea angling.