Sancta Maria College Announced As Regional Finalist for Bank of Ireland Junk Kouture 2017
Precious Silver Tickets create a Social Media Frenzy!

14th February 2017: Bank of Ireland today has announced the regional finalists from Dublin for Bank of Ireland Junk Kouture 2017. Now in its seventh year the all-Ireland leading fashion and art competition for secondary schools challenges students to create unique, original and innovative outfits from recycled materials and junk. Open to students nationwide, entries for 2017 surpassed all expectations making it the biggest competition to date.

Pictured in Sancta Maria College Louisburg Co. Mayo, at the announcement and presentation of awards to Shona Gill, and Sean O’Malley, regional finalists in the Bank of Ireland Junk Kouture 2017, l-r; Keith Higgins, Youth Coordinator, Bank of Ireland, Shona Gill, designer and model, and Catherine Bourke, Westport Branch Manager Bank of Ireland,. Photo © Ken Wright Photography 2017.

Catherine Burke, Manager Bank of Ireland Westport Branch and Keith Higgins, Youth Coordinator Bank of Ireland surprised student designers Shona Gill and Sean O'Malley, from Sancta Maria College Secondary School, Louisburgh, with a precious Silver Ticket which secures both teams a place in the Bank of Ireland Junk Kouture Western Regional Final taking place on the 8th March 2017. The students received the Silver Ticket for their entries CDSuit and Butcap.

Pictured in Sancta Maria College Louisburg Co. Mayo, at the announcement and presentation of awards to Shona Gill, and Sean O’Malley, regional finalists in the Bank of Ireland Junk Kouture 2017, l-r; Seoirse Swanton, helper, Pauline Moran, Principal , Keith Higgins, Youth Coordinator, Bank of Ireland, Tom O’Flynn, Art Teacher, Shona Gill, designer and model, Sean O’Malley, designer and model, Catherine Bourke, Westport Branch Manager Bank of Ireland, Matthew McNally, helper, Padraic Hedley, helper. Photo © Ken Wright Photography 2017.

80 designs from each of the four provinces were lucky enough to be Silver Ticket winners. The anticipation caused a social media frenzy as thousands of students logged on to the BOI Students Facebook platform from each region to find out if they had been successful. Regional finalists will be presented with a precious Silver Ticket at their respective Finals in March, though some regional winners received a surprise visit from the Bank of Ireland Junk Kouture team and Snapchat Superstar James Kavanagh who were on the road yesterday.

Speaking about the Silver Tickets, Alan Durcan, Bank of Ireland Head of County, for Mayo, said; "The calibre of entries for this year's competition has been fantastic and the judging panel had a very tough job choosing the top 80 from each region. With every entry being uniquely choreographed to music, we are really excited to see the models bring their designs to life on stage at the Regional finals. We wish everyone the best of luck with the next stage of the competition and remind finalists to get innovative about how they gather support through the Bank of Ireland Junk Kouture voting app."

Pictured in Sancta Maria College Louisburg Co. Mayo, at the announcement and presentation of awards to Shona Gill, and Sean O’Malley, (who are pictured modelling their designs), regional finalists in the Bank of Ireland Junk Kouture 2017, . Photo © Ken Wright Photography 2017.

As part of the judging process, the public can get involved by casting a vote for their favorite design through the Bank of Ireland Junk Kouture voting app. Accessed through the BOI Students Facebook page (www.facebook.com/BOIstudents), voting opens for one week before the regional competitions from Connacht. Individuals can cast a single vote every 24hours. Votes account for 10% of the final mark and can make a huge difference in such a heated competition. Bank of Ireland is encouraging students to think innovatively about how they gather support through the voting app with a special Bank of Ireland Award in the mix for the Most Innovative Designer at the National Final in April.

Pictured in Sancta Maria College Louisburg Co. Mayo, at the announcement and presentation of awards to Shona Gill, and Sean O’Malley, regional finalists in the Bank of Ireland Junk Kouture 2017, l-r; Keith Higgins, Youth Coordinator, Bank of Ireland, Sean O’Malley, designer and model and Catherine Bourke, Westport Branch Manager Bank of Ireland,. Photo © Ken Wright Photography 2017.