'Douze points' for Cork school which claims Schoolovision crown for second year running

The 25 pupils at Cappabue national school in West Cork are celebrating after their catchy lockdown-inspired tune, We Create Magic, came out on top of the 21 entries from schools all over Europe, beating Norway by just three points

Celebrations at Cappabue NS near Bantry in Cork after the school won the Schoolovision song context. Included are teachers Olive Creed, Eibhlín Ní Chonchúir and principal Norma Healy.

A small rural school is eyeing a Johnny Logan-style Eurovision hat-trick after it won the Schoolovision Song Contest for the second year in a row.

Celebrations were in full swing at Cappabue national school in West Cork yesterday after the final ‘douze points’ in the 2021 Schoolovision competition – modelled on the Eurovision song contest – was announced.

Students and teachers went wild after their catchy lockdown inspired tune, We Create Magic, came out on top of the 21 entries from schools all over Europe, beating Norway by just three points.

WE WON, WE WON, WE WON 🎉🎉

Ireland are champions of @Eurovision Schoolovision for the second year in a row🇮🇪🏆#WeCreateMagic@GMCBeats @creativeirl@SouthernStarIRL @corkbeo @irishexaminer @RTEToday @IrelandAMVMTV @TodayFM @RTE2fm @RTERadio1 @RTERnaGhttps://t.co/z5poLprUmm

— Cappabue N.S. (@cappabue) May 21, 2021

It’s Cappabue’s second Schoolovision title in a row and principal Norma Healy said their thoughts are already turning to next year’s competition.

“There was just such a buzz in the school waiting for the result, which was live-streamed on YouTube,” she said.

“We had to come in early because it was running on central European time, so we were all in school by 8.30am.

We all sat in the classroom with our Irish flags ready. The excitement was palpable. And we were just so delighted to win."

They spent the rest of the day watching movies and eating treats.

Schoolovision is a unique eTwinning project which brings together children from countries right across Europe and beyond.

Last year, Cappabue NS, a 25-pupil school near Kealkiil, was chosen to represent Ireland at the song contest with their rap, One Small Change, produced by Garry McCarthy, aka GMC Beats.

Just look at how excited our junior room pupils were when we were announced as @Eurovision Schoolovision winners for the second year in a row 🎉🇮🇪🎉

See full video on Facebook 😂#ÉireAbú #CappabueAbú #Schoolovision #WeCreateMagic #Creativity #CreativeAmbassadors #MolAnÓige pic.twitter.com/UuTAKxbYsD

— Cappabue N.S. (@cappabue) May 21, 2021

It featured a slick music video, which was filmed, with the permission of public health experts, in Gougane Barra, Glengarriff Nature Reserve and at Snave beach.

The climate-crisis rap went viral and went on to win the Schoolovision.

On the back of that success, the school was chosen as national Junior Creative Ambassadors 2020, and were asked to commission a song with the theme of creativity for Cruiniú na nÓg's day of celebration on June 13 last.

With schools closed from March to September, Cappabue recorded all the ways their students were being creative during lockdown.

The We Create Magic rap was also recorded during level 5 lockdown with song lyrics and video clips shared online.

Ms Healy paid tribute to her teaching partner, Olive Creed, to all the students who were involved, and to the parents for their support, during what has been a difficult year.