Ryan Tubridy visits St Joseph’s National School, Kingscourt, Co Cavan

To crown the winners of WillowWarm Christmas Schools Competition
Sustainable efforts of the students won a storytelling session with Ryan, €1,000 for their school plus one tonne of WillowWarm Briquettes for winning teacher

‘Twas a few nights before Christmas and some lucky Co. Cavan students have won a very special visit from self-professed book worm and avid-reader Ryan Tubridy as part of the WillowWarm Christmas Schools competition. The pupils of St Joseph’s National School, Kingscourt, Co Cavan were delighted when Ryan arrived to celebrate their winning entry, presenting them with their prize and joining them for a storytelling session.

Students were tasked with getting creative to tell the story of their school’s efforts to be more environmentally friendly and sustainable, by entering a video, short story, painting or project with a €1,000 prize for the school’s sustainability activities plus one tonne of WillowWarm Briquettes awarded to the winning teacher. As a carbon-neutral, sustainably grown home fuel produced in Co. Meath and the brighter, cleaner, greener way to a cosy home this winter, WillowWarm Briquettes are the perfect partner to lead students by example on the need to make necessary changes in our daily lives to help the environment.

In their winning entry, the second class pupils of St Joseph’s National School, Kingscourt put together an outstanding video documenting many of their efforts around sustainability and the environment, actively promoting the three Rs – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, including such initiatives as carpooling and encouraging walking to school where possible with their ‘Walk to school Wednesday’ initiative! Whilst also carrying out a walkability audit for An Taisce to assess the best possible routes for walking to school, noting the unmaintained routes, such as obstructions on footpaths in order to present a report to the County Council.

As Ryan left the winning school, all the students from St Joseph’s gathered in the school yard to wave him off and give him a Christmas cheer!

Ryan Tubridy said: “What a great day of storytelling and sustainability we have had here in Kingscourt! The students of St Joseph’s really impressed us with their environmental efforts – I think the future is in good hands with these bright sparks. The WillowWarm Christmas Schools competition is such a great way for me to reconnect with young people in Ireland who I love to chat to and encourage to read. I hope everyone has a lovely Christmas and well done again to everyone who took part this year.”

Commenting on the winning entry, Alan Breslin, Business Development Manager WillowWarm Briquettes said: “At a time when we’re all having to be so aware of the impact of climate change, it is gratifying to see the passion and commitment from the young pupils of St Joseph’s National School and the practical steps they are taking. WillowWarm is equally committed on our mission of helping Ireland transition to renewable heat by providing our indigenous, carbon-neutral product to the Irish market.”

The runners up of the competition were Scoil Chlochair Mhuire in Carrigtwohill, Co Cork, who started a book club initiative for children in 5th and 6th class, encouraging book donations from parents and the wider community resulting in a collection of almost 5,000 books to date. The other runner up was Limerick’s Gaelscoil Chaladh an Treoigh, who alongside a local social enterprise group sowed 300 native trees and to protect the growing trees from stray footballs came up with fencing made from old, recycled pallets painting the fencing with delightful designs.

In advance of the upcoming Leinster Minor Hurling Championship Shamrock Renewable Products, under the WillowWarm Briquettes brand name, is delighted to announce a two-year sponsorship deal of the Minor Hurling panel.

Based in a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Balrath, Kells, carbon neutral WillowWarm Briquettes are grown and produced in Ireland and are an environmentally-friendly, value for money alternative to traditional fuel briquettes, giving off more heat with a long, clean burn.

Shamrock Renewable Products were represented at the sponsorship launch by Founder Alan Fox and business partner John Breslin. “With our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility based in Balrath, Kells currently employing over 60 people we’re delighted to be investing in our local sporting talent. We wish Ger and the team the very best for the season ahead and we look forward to a long partnership with Meath GAA.”

Meath Minor Committee Chairman Ray Finnegan: “On behalf of Coiste na Mí I am delighted to welcome Shamrock Renewable Products on board as sponsor of our Minor Hurlers and we are delighted that our Minor Hurlers jerseys will carry the WillowWarm Briquettes logo for the next two years. The fact that the Meath Minor Hurlers can attract such a high-profile local business is testament to the great strides being made in Meath hurling and with this sponsorship we hope to invest further in the improvement in our county underage hurling teams. We hope that this is the beginning of a lasting relationship between Shamrock Renewable Products and Meath GAA”.

Meath Minor Hurling Manager Ger O’Neill: “On behalf of the Meath Minor Hurling team I would like to take this opportunity of thanking John Breslin and Alan Fox of Shamrock Renewable Products for their sponsorship for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. It is a huge boost to these young hurlers in Meath that they can avail of everything that is required of the modern game, and we as management team and players will do all we can on the pitch to repay them for their generous sponsorship”.

Photo: Players Mark Leavy & Tom Condon with Alan Fox and John Breslin of WillowWarm Briquettes

WillowWarm Briquettes is delighted to announce Architect and TV broadcaster Dermot Bannon as their new Brand Ambassador.

Dermot says, “I’m delighted to be partnering with the WillowWarm team – an Irish company which is going from strength to strength producing a carbon neutral, sustainably grown briquette which is harvested and produced in Meath and is available nationwide.

At a time when we’re all having to be so aware of the impact of climate change, not only can we make necessary changes to our homes such as heat pumps, solar panels and insulation, we can benefit hugely from using a product on a day-to-day basis which is good for the environment!

I’m looking forward to supporting the team and am excited to be part of the further expansion of their product range in the coming months.”