Cork schoolgirl’s letter wings its way to Oval Office

A SCHOOLGIRL’S inspirational homework assignment is about to land on the desk of the most powerful man on the planet.

Cork teenager Niamh Burke has won an international award for a moving letter she wrote to President Barack Obama pleading for action on climate change. But because it is so good, the Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin has agreed to ensure the US president gets to read it himself.

It is expected to be passed to the Irish Embassy in Washington within days for delivery to the Oval Office.

Niamh, 17, from Rochestown, a transition year student in Christ King secondary school in Cork, was given the assignment as homework last February.

“I wrote it at home one Sunday afternoon,” she said.

Her teacher suggested she enter it in an international letter writing competition organised by Concern.

Participants had to write a letter, addressed to the US president, highlighting critical global issues.

Niamh focused on climate change and the developing world, but added a unique twist – she wrote it from the perspective of the air and signed it from “The Air”.

“I felt that everyone else would write from a person’s point of view so I decided to do something different. I decided to write the letter as ‘the air’ – it’s something that could make a difference because you can use it to make energy.

“I wanted to grab peoples’ attention. I just did it as a homework assignment and then entered it in the competition and forgot about it really until last week, when I found out I’d won.

“I never actually thought he [President Obama] would get to read it. But it would be amazing if he did because we need to do something to save the environment.”

The letter highlights how the air is being polluted but how wind could be harnessed to produce clean renewable energy for the whole planet.

“This letter is a plea for help,” she wrote. “You and I, Barack, together we can.”

Christ King principal Mary Keane said she is very proud of Niamh.

“Niamh is a very talented young woman and we are terribly proud of her.

“Writing is just one of her many talents and she is very much an asset to her school. We are also very grateful to Minister Martin for arranging delivery of the letter to President Obama.”