Young Mayo artist claims national credit union art title

A young artist from Ballina has been named a national winner in the 2025 Credit Union Art Competition. Kevin Lee Sweeney, representing Ballina Credit Union, won first place in the age 14-17 category, with judges commending his artwork for its creativity, emotional depth, and expressive response to the theme “The Future Is…”. 

Kevin was selected from over 25,000 entries submitted nationwide. His achievement was celebrated at the national final in Croke Park, alongside winners from across the country.

ILCU President Brendan Jenkins commended the high standard of this year’s entries, noting that the creativity and imagination demonstrated by young people was exceptional. 

“Through their work, these artists offer inspiring visions, rich in hope and innovation, of what the future could be. Their pieces reflect both personal dreams and collective possibilities, reminding us that the future is shaped by the ideas and aspirations we choose to nurture today.”

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Jenkins also added that the competition is about far more than winning prizes:

“It’s about confidence, self-expression, and community pride. Every participant should be immensely proud of their contribution. On behalf of the ILCU, I extend my congratulations to all our award recipients and sincere thanks to every artist who took part in making this year’s competition such a wonderful celebration of creativity.”