A Mayo National School have received a national award for the Healthy Ocean project.
Dooagh National School, Achill, were crowned winners of the Explorers Ocean Champion School National Award 2023-2024 for their Healthy Ocean project ‘The Basking Sharks’.
Their project highlighted how important basking sharks are to Achill and Ireland historically.
The students worked together to create giant Basking Shark sculptures on the seashore and art sculptures from marine litter.
Over the past year, the students have been involved in beach cleans, visited the Marine Institute’s Newport Research Facility, worked with artists, learnt about the work of shark experts and scientists from the Irish Basking Shark Group, produced e-books, and have campaigned to erect a sign at Keem Bay to advise boaters and swimmers about respecting this species.