NEWS: Local students Dublin-bound for national finals

What do royal tea, misfits, flight of the Phoenix and What Lies Beneath have in common? They are all part of Moate Community School's entries in the national finals of the Junk Kouture competition which takes place this evening.

Junk Kouture is a national competition which encourages young people to create designs from recycled products.
Moate has four entries in the final, having come through the regional finals. Eleven Transition Year students are involved in the entries. Ciara Egan, Therese Geoghegan and Laura Sheridan have put together their entry, titled Royal Tea. This dress is made from teabags.
The Misfits project is the work of students Niamh O'Reilly, Lisa O'Brien and Colm Shortall. The dress is made out of socks and it highlights the idea that people don't fit into stereotypes.
Students Therese Robbins, Emma Kelly and Aaron Keane have worked on the Flight of the Phoenix project. This dress is made from conveyor belts and the theme is travel.
Arthur Finlay and Tina Geoghegan worked on What Lies Beneath, a dress made from bones and blinds.
Art teacher Pamela Keogh said that students have enjoyed working on Junk Kouture and there is intense competition within the school to get to take part in the first place.
Thirteen projects were produced by the school, 11 of which reached the regional final.
“We have been in the competition since the beginning of Junk Kouture. It has been a great progression. Each year we have been doing better and better,” said Ms Keogh.
The school has won prizes in the competition in the past few years including a glamour award and technology prizes. Last year the school won a regional prize with a dress that was made out of seatbelts.
“We want to do as well as we can this year,” said Pamela. “The final is a huge stage. The students have to get up in front of 5,000 people.”
She added: “It has been great for the school. We have students who come here and say that one of the reasons they come here is for Junk Kouture. We have competition within the school to get to do Junk Kouture.”
The students who took part in the competition were very enthusiastic about their work.
Ciara Egan, who is part of the Royal Tea project team, said she is looking forward to the final on Thursday.
“I'm a bit nervous and excited. I never expected to get this far,” she said.
Glen Carolan, who worked on Junk Kouture during the year, said: “It was a really good experience. I would never have thought about doing anything artistic until I got to Transition Year.”
The final of Junk Kouture will take place in the 3Arena this evening.