2020 Winners

The standard of the projects was outstanding and we thank and commend all students for taking part in the IYPA. Your responses and your enthusiasm have been truly inspiring. We hope that your participation has also encouraged you to continue engaging with philosophical and ethical questions and we hope to see you all at the IYPA in the future.

Below is the list of those students and projects awarded prizes and commendations. Well done to all!

Dr Danielle Petherbridge
UCD Centre for Ethics in Public Life

5TH AND 6TH CLASS PRIMARY

WINNER

Sam Quinn O’Flaherty
6th Class, Gaelscoil Chnoc Liamhna
Project: A Moral Dilemma: Who Gets a Ventilator When There Are Not Enough?

EQUAL RUNNERS-UP

Neala ó Moráin
5th Class, Scoil Lorcain
Project: Does Covid-19 Change our Opinion of Low-skilled Workers?

and

Timmy Casey
5th Class, St Andrews College, Dublin
Project: The Ethics of Fame and Celebrity During Covid 19.

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Ronan ó Moráin
5th Class, Scoil Lorcain Monkstown
Project: Why Should we Follow the Covid-19 Restriction Rules?

Fiona McCarthy
6th Class, Moanfune, Tallow, Waterford
Project: Is It Right to Call the Frontline Staff Heroes?

Tom Cox
5th Class, Glebe National School
Project: What is A Hero?

1ST AND 2ND YEAR SECOND LEVEL

WINNER

Joe O’Grady
2nd Year, Gonzaga College
Project: Does Covid-19 Only Have a Negative Impact?

RUNNER-UP

Emily Gaines
2nd Year, Temple Carrig, Greystones 
Project: Who Cares About a Jellyfish in Venice?

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Arlo Daly
2nd Year, Sandymount Park Educate Together Secondary School
Project: Can we Blame Others for the effect COVID-19 is having on our Lives?

Sarah Kirwan
1st Year, Loreto College Mullingar
Project: Can We Prevent Diseases from Spreading if We Adopt a Vegetarian Diet?

3RD AND 4TH YEAR SECOND LEVEL

WINNER

Lily McCann
3rd Year, Temple Carrig, Greystones 
Project: What Do We Owe to Each Other?

EQUAL RUNNERS-UP

Emma Brennan
4th Year, Old Bawn Community School
Project: Do We Need Others to Be Happy?

and

Siobhan Ryan
4th Year, Temple Carrig, Greystones
Project: Should the Government Enforce Lockdown Restrictions?

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Theo Papadopoulos
Year 10, Abbey Christian Brother Grammar School, Newry
Project: Thinking Ethically in the Context of Covid-19.

Érin Ahern
4th Year, Pobalscoil Na Tríonóide, Youghal, Cork
Project: Are We Really All in This Together?

5TH AND 6TH YEAR SECOND LEVEL

WINNER

Oliver Grant
5th Year, St. Marys College Cssp, Rathmines
Project: How can Individualism Coexist with a Global Pandemic?

RUNNER-UP

Sam Enright
6th Year, Skerries Community College
Project: How Much is A Human Life Worth?

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Saskia Kirkland
5th Year, St Andrews College
Project: COVID-19, is Utilitarianism the Answer?

Daniel Kelly
5th Year, Gonzaga College
Project: Should the HSE buy PPE made by Slaves to Save Irish Citizens?

Anne McEvoy
6th Year, St Andrews College, Dublin
Project: Should Employees with a Child that has Special needs be Expected to Work from Home During Quarantine as Well as Being a Carer to their Child?

HONOURABLE MENTIONS:

Ayla Walsh O’Neill
3rd Class Primary
Project: What’s the Point?
Michael Clarke
3rd Year, Temple Carrig, Greystones
Project: Philosophy

INDIVIDUAL

WINNER

Mira Henchi
3rd Year, Cork Educate Together Secondary School
Project: What Moral Philosophy or Ethical Theory is best for Government/Society to Apply in Order to Solve the Coronavirus Crisis, but is Also the Most Morally Right?

RUNNER-UP

Leon Reilly
4th Year, CBC Monkstown Park
Project: Searching for a Cure: Challenge Trials.

SMALL GROUP

WINNER

Emilia and Anna Bennis
5th and 3rd Class, Scoil Mhuire, Sandymount
Project: A Bird in a Tree ... or Philosophy? My Planet and Me.

RUNNER-UP

Ava McGowan and Ben Wade
3rd Year, Temple Carrig, Greystones
Project: Is it Ethical that the Government are Prioritising Young People for Hospital Beds?

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Patrick O' Callaghan, Matheo Moran and Oliver Walsh
4th Year, CBS Mitchelstown, Cork
Project: Should we Limit our Freedom to Help Others?

Jack Farrell, Charles Kelly and Jordan Whitfield
4th Year and 6th Year, The Philosophy Society, Dominican College, Newbridge
Project: Are Natural Human Rights More Important than Lockdown Restrictions?

CLASS

WINNER

Killian’s 6th Class
6A Class, St. Kilian’s School
Project: What Makes a Hero?

RUNNER-UP

St. Andrews 5th Class
5th Class, St. Andrews College Junior School
Project: How has Covid-19 Impacted Our Environment?

MOST INNOVATIVE

EQUAL WINNERS

Emma Harris
6th year, St. Brigid's College, Loughrea
Project: Should We Shop On-Line During the Covid-19 Pandemic?

and

Zach North
5th Class, Dublin 7 Educate Together National School
Project: How Should the Public Road Space be Distributed?

RUNNER-UP

Emma Power
1st Year, Muckross Park College
Project: Does the Covid-19 Crisis Affect Everyone in the Same Way?

HIGHLY COMMENDED

St. Brendan's College
SEM Film Project, St. Brendan's College Killarney, Kerry
Project: Would it be Right to Return to How Things Were Before Covid-19?

 

OVERALL WINNER OF THE 2020 IRISH YOUNG PHILOSOPHER AWARD COVID-19 ETHICS PRIZE

WINNER

Lily McCann
3rd Year, Temple Carrig, Greystones 
Project: What Do We Owe to Each Other?

Create a short project on any ethical question that you think is most important in the context of Covid-19. See below under ‘How do I Participate?’ for information about the kinds of written and visual projects that may be submitted.

Prizes will be awarded for the best entries. The best entries will also be published on the UCD Centre for Ethics in Public Life website and the IYPA website.

All entries should be submitted by Monday 18th May 2020. Entries should be emailed to the IYPA email address: youngphilosopherawards@ucd.ie

All second level students and 5th and 6th class primary level students on the island of Ireland are eligible to apply.

Individuals, groups and classes can submit an entry. Please make sure you include the names of all participants or your class name and contact details at the top of your work. See instructions below.

  1. Decide whether you want to work as an individual or a group (this may be a class).
  2. Think about any ethical issue that you consider important in the context of
    Covid-19. 
  3. Create an ethical question from your thoughts.
  4. Discuss your question with your family, friends, and teachers, without forgetting about social distancing!
  5. Look at books, on-line articles, and magazines.
  6. Examine the different views on the question that you have raised and keep notes. 
  7. Create a project in response to the question or issue you think is most important. Your project can be in the format of a blog post, essay, letter, short  story, dialogue, comic, podcast, or film.
  8. If writing a blog or a written project you may include images to accompany your work. The length of written projects should be a maximum 800 words.

Ethical questions are important not only in our everyday interactions with others, but in the use of technology, how we conduct ourselves at school and at work, how governments and institutions undertake their duty and conduct their practices, and how we plan for the future as well as reflect upon past actions. In times of an important public health emergency such as Covid-19, many moral and ethical issues are raised.

Ethical questions are ones that:

  1. Consider what actions are right or good.
  2. Focus on our responsibility toward others and the world (e.g., human beings, animals, and the environment).
  3. Relate to what we believe is right and wrong.
  4. Have more than one answer.
  5. Prompt us to reflect on different and conflicting answers or views.

When you are facing a question of right or wrong that does not have an easy answer, and needs further reflection, then you are dealing with an ethical question. Here are some examples of ethical issues and questions relating to Covid-19:

• Is it our duty to help others?

• Can we live without each other?

• Does the Covid-19 crisis affect everyone in the same way?

• Is my happiness more important than others?

• How does Covid-19 affect the way we interact with people?

• Are there any good changes that might arise from this experience?

• Should we limit our freedom to help others?

• Does Covid-19 make us think about friends and family differently?

• What ethical issues arise with an increased reliance on technology during Covid-19?

• What is more important - health or wealth?

• Are we dependent on others for our happiness and well-being?

• What does it mean to be a hero?

• Is the replacement of the classroom by the internet ethical?

• Is Covid-19 a chance for us to reflect on the environmental crisis?

• Does living in isolation from others raise particular issues?

• Does Covid-19 make us think about the value of humanity differently?

These are only examples of ethical questions and we encourage you to come up with your own questions when you undertake your project.

All entries should be submitted by Monday 18th May 2020.

Entries should be emailed to the IYPA email address:
youngphilosopherawards@ucd.ie

When you submit your entry, you must include the following information on your work or typed in the email you send:

  1. Name (or the names of all members of your group or your class name)
  2. School
  3. Year Level
  4. Email Contact
  5. Teacher or Parent Name and Contact Details

For more information on the annual Irish Young Philosopher Awards visit our website at
https://youngphilosopherawards.ucd.ie/

Information about the Covid-19 prize can also be found on the website of the UCD Centre for Ethics in Public Life @ www.ucd.ie/cepl/iypa

For all queries contact IYPA at: youngphilosopherawards@ucd.ie

With thanks to Susan Andrews, Georgios Petropoulos,
Fiona Lavin, Maria Baghramian

Danielle Petherbridge