Despite Covid-19 restrictions, the 2020 Mary Mulvihill Award presentation went ahead, though inevitably there were changes to how we congratulated our awardees.
At a Zoom event on 15 June, winner James Hayes of NUI Galway and Aoife Kearins, TCD, whose essay was highly commended, ‘met’ association patron Brian Dolan, awards co-ordinator Cormac Sheridan and co-chair Nóirín Mulvihill.
Presenting the awards, Lynn Scarff, director of the National Museum of Ireland, commended both entrants on their ability to tell a compelling story. She linked this to Mary’s ability to give objects a voice and to include complex ideas in a compelling narrative. She wished them well in the future, reminding them that the arts and science can be interwoven.
James noted the take-up of the announcement around Roscommon. Aoife from Sligo said lockdown gave her the time to write and she has been enjoying reading Ingenious Ireland since. Links to the winning entries are on this page.
We plan to host a dual celebration of the 2020 Mary Mulvihill Award winners and 2021 winners next year. Watch this space!