The overall winners of the 2023 Teagasc forest photo competition were announced this week by Offaly's Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity, Senator Pippa Hackett. Minister Hackett is pictured with Paul Butler, Teagasc Forestry Liaison Officer. Photo: John Ohle Photography.

Offaly Minister announces winners of Teagasc Forest Photo Competition

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The overall winners of this year's Teagasc forest photo competition were announced earlier this week by the Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity, Senator Pippa Hackett.

This year's competition, Celebrating the New Forestry Programme 2023 – 2027, had three themes, and, for the first time, both an adult and junior age category.

Each theme winner was chosen by a panel of judges and the final selection of the overall winners in each age category was by popular choice. Voting was brisk all weekend.

The overall winner in the adult category was Adrian Nolan from County Galway. Adrian's striking photo was very well composed and reminds us that fungi play an essential role in the forest cycle, and as part of its biodiversity, and are often overlooked.

Adrian Nolan was the overall winner in the adult category with this evocative photo of life on the forest floor.

In the junior category, the deserving winner was Jake Byrne from Kilkenny.

Jake's image was simple yet really impactful. It captured the sense of fun that can be had from a few pieces of timber combined with a good sprinkling of imagination.

This simple and effective entry from Jake Byrne made him the junior category winner.

Each of the winners will receive a voucher for €300 to add to their earlier voucher of the same amount, bringing their total winnings to €600.

Congratulating the competition winners, Minister Hackett said: "I am delighted to announce Adrian and Jake as the overall and well-deserved winners. I would like to thank all the entrants for showcasing such wonderful examples of the many roles forests play in all our lives".

Minister Hackett continued; "I would also like to thank Teagasc for their important work in promoting and celebrating the variety of themes contained within the new Forestry Programme 2023-2027.

"This programme is the most ambitious to date and supports landowners to plant trees in a manner that provides lasting climate, biodiversity, wood production, employment, and wider societal benefits.

"Forests have an important and lasting influence across generations, and I welcome that this competition reflects this, with two new distinct age categories."

All of the winning photos from the Teagasc forest photo competition can be viewed on the Teagasc website here.

This competition was coordinated by Teagasc with support from the Forestry Division of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).

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