Sinead McCoy
smccoy@eeu.antaisce.org
01 4002228
0871347950

Clean Coasts’ Love Your Coast
Photography Awards 2016

Clean Coasts’ Love Your Coast Photography Awards were held on Thursday 6thth October in Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin 2. Micheal John O’Mahony, Director of the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce, presented the prizes to the winning photographers.

Ireland has some of the most spectacular and diverse coastline in the world, Clean Coasts engages communities in protecting these beaches, seas and marine life now and for future generations. Clean Coasts launched the Love Your Coast Photography Competition in May during Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week and with a prize fund of €5,000 it attracted huge interest from Ireland’s amateur photographers. There are five categories in the competition; Coastal Heritage, Coastal Landscape, People & the Coast, Wildlife & the Coast and Underwater.

The difficult task of judging this year’s competition was undertaken by Jim Wilson – writer/photographer/broadcaster, Philip Donovan and Conal O’Connor – Department of Housing, Community and Local Government, Ciara Cashen – Coca-Cola,   Eoin McDonnell – Failte Ireland and Micheal John O’Mahony – Director, Environmental Education Unit, An Taisce.

Clean Coasts would like to wish a huge congratulations to Reuben Fields for taking home ‘Photograph of the Year 2016’ Award for his image ‘Safe Haven’.

Ciara Cashen, Public Affairs & Communications Manager, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland remarked, “The photography entered to the Love Your Coast Awards this year was of an incredibly high standard and really captured the unique charm of the Irish coastline. The winning images depict a sense of pride in our coastline and celebrate the beauty and enjoyment the people of our island nation get from this cherished natural resource.”

Speaking about the event, Eoin McDonnell, Failte Ireland said ‘These excellent photographs showcase not only the beauty but variety of our Irish coastline which resonates strongly with both locals and visitors alike. The value of the Irish seascape and nature are highly prized as an attraction to visit and enjoy for everyone and Fáilte Ireland fully encourages the competition to capture these stunning images.’

An electronic exhibition of Love Your Coast will be displayed at various locations nationally and internationally over the coming months. A gallery of the winning photographs can be found on www.cleancoasts.org or on Facebook/CleanCoasts. 

Clean Coasts is operated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce and is supported by the Department of Housing, Community and Local Government, Coca-Cola and Fáilte Ireland.

 

If you require images in high resolution please contact Sinead McCoy

smccoy@eeu.antaisce.org

01 4002228

 

WINNERS 2016

People & The Coast
1 Derek Balfe Dodging the Waves in Tramore
2 Conor McEneaney Swimming in Salterstown
3 Bren Whelan Rock Climbing
Wildlife
1 Clodagh Blake Dance of the Dolphins
2 Micheal Linehan Gull with Crab
3 Donal Power Island for One
Landscape
1 John Hall Great Pollet Arch
2 Sean De Hoichtuin Stars at the Cliffs
3 Egita Feldberg Keel Strand
Heritage
1 Reuben Fields Safe Haven
2 Hubert Leszczynski The Bailey Lighthouse
3 Andrew Keegan The Old Crocked Castle
Underwater
1 Nick Pfeiffer The Little Cuttlefish
2 Andrew Keegan Castles in the Air
3 Maja Stankovski Peekaboo