Kerry teenager wins €1,500 first place in Texaco art competition

Leaving Certificate student from Caherdaniel triumphs in longest-running art competition in Ireland

Casey Etherton, a student at Coláiste na Sceilge, Caherciveen, has been named as the overall winner of this year's 66th Texaco Children's Art Competition. From Caherdaniel he took first prize in the senior 16-18 years age category for his detailed study in oils of a neighbour entitled ‘Kevin In The Pink’.

Casey Etherton, a Leaving Cert student from Kerry, has been declared the overall winner of the longest-running art competition in Ireland.

He claimed first prize in the 16-18 years category in the Texaco Children's Art Competition and will receive €1,500 in prize money for his piece, entitled ‘Kevin In The Pink’. 

The work of art is a detailed study in oils of Casey's neighbour, who lives near his house in Caherdaniel.

Casey studies art in Coláiste na Sceilge in Caherciveen, and his art teacher is  Fiona Holly. 

Casey says he has always been drawn to art, and he plans to study art at third level. 

He is hopeful we will have a career in animation in the future. 

Casey was inspired by the techniques of Rembrandt, and portraiture is a particular interest of his. Pencil and charcoal are his most frequently used mediums. 

Casey's winning entry, a study in oils entitled ‘Kevin In The Pink’.

Final adjudicator and chairman of the judging panel, Professor Declan McGonagle, described Casey’s piece as “an exceedingly lifelike and sensitive painting in which the subject is caught in a thoughtful moment.” 

The Kerry teen is the youngest of two children, and he comes from an artistic family. 

His father works in television production and his mother is a writer and editor. Two of his grandparents were also prominent in the creative field, one was an author and another worked in art education.

In total, 25,000 young artists from across Ireland took part in the competition.

Among the other category winners were 15-year-old PJ Doherty from St Eunan's College in Letterkenny, 13-year-old Luke Joyce from St Benildus College in Dublin, nine-year-old Jiaming Zheng, a pupil at St Brigid's Boys NS in Foxrock, eight-year-old Marc Long of Georgian Montessori in Dublin city, and five-year-old Eleana Hughes from Stoneyford National School.

In Category G, reserved for entries from young artists of all ages with special needs, first prize was won by 14-year old James Moonan, a pupil at The Arthouse, Drogheda, Co Louth for his work entitled ‘Darragh At The Restaurant’.

The Texaco Children’s Art Competition is regarded as the longest-running sponsorship in the history of arts sponsoring in Ireland, with an unbroken record that dates back to the very first competition held in 1955.

Previous famous winners include artists Bernadette Madden and Dorothy Cross, fashion designer Paul Costelloe, artist and former broadcaster Thelma Mansfield, former minister Ruairí Quinn (a four-times winner), and communications consultant and broadcaster Terry Prone. 

James Twohig, Director of Ireland Operations for Valero Energy, the company that markets fuel in Ireland under the Texaco brand, thanked parents and art teachers who gave encouragement to the thousands of budding artists who entered the competition in the past 66 years.

However, unlike previous years, no awards ceremony can take place due to Covid-19, and prizes will be delivered directly to winners.