Two Mayo youngsters crowned Credit Union art contest winners

The Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU) unveiled the winners of its 2023 Art Competition.

Annamária Pēcsi of Westport Credit Union, and Kevin Lee Sweeney of Ballina Credit Union, were crowned winners of their respective categories at a prize giving event in Croke Park on Sunday.

This year's competition, themed ‘My Community & Me’, inspired entrants to explore and express their unique perspectives on their local communities, exploring what makes their community unique; be it the people, the scenery, or the sense of belonging.

ILCU President, Martin Busch, said the theme encouraged people to focus on the importance and meaning of community in our daily lives. 

“Community is at the core of credit unions, each being owned and operated by its members. It is a place where understanding, value, support, and empowerment can be felt” he said.

The Credit Union Art Competition is one of the longest-running and most distinguished competitions of its kind. Each year, over 30,000 talented children and adults from credit unions across Ireland submit their entries. The final, hosted by Grainne McElwain this year, was held in Croke Park where the winners and runners-up of each category (both General and Additional Needs), and their families were invited to attend a prize giving ceremony in Dublin.

Mr Busch said the group was ‘delighted to welcome all the finalists’ to the ceremony, in which they celebrated 40 years of the Art Competition. 

“The standard of entries we receive never fails to amaze us. Each year, the judges are tasked with the difficult job of whittling down the top entries for each category. The Art Competition is a fantastic way to view the talent and creativity across Ireland” he added.

 The Credit Union Art Competition is dedicated to supporting and developing the arts in Irish society. The credit union movement has always had a keen commitment to promoting and encouraging involvement in the arts across communities and engaging with young people across the country.

Mr Busch and his colleague as ILCU ‘wholeheartedly’ congratulated all the winners for their outstanding achievements, and extended their ‘appreciation to all the participants for generously sharing their remarkable artistic talents and their creative and unique perspectives on their communities’.

Full details on all the winners and runners-up across each category for 2023 can be found on the Credit Union's website.