Kilkenny snapper wins Teagasc's 'Forest Harvest' photo competition

A young Kilkenny photographer has snapped his way to the top in a Teagasc photography competition.

Jake Byrne beat out many other entries to have his picture named best in the junior category of 'The Forest Harvest' themed competition.

Judges were impressed with Jake's simple, but effective, way of showing a lot of fun can be had from a few pieces of timber and a lot of imagination! You can see his photograph above.

Jake will receive vouchers worth €300 and will also be entered into the Grand Final on 15 December. The overall winners, to be announced on December 19, will be chosen by popular vote and each will receive a voucher for a further €300. 

The winner of the adult category is Alicia Dempsey from Westport, County Mayo. You can see her photograph below:

Judges said: "Alicia’s photograph transmits a quiet tranquillity. She says that walking in the woods and observing the gifts of nature helped her to get through a difficult time. It is a reminder that another “product” of woodlands is the peace and quiet to be found there. The image also reminds us of the food provided by forests in the form of nuts and fruits. Acorns have played a significant role in human nutrition in the past and of course are an important seasonal source of food for many wild animals."

The Teagasc Forestry Development Department announced the prize winners in category 3 of its ongoing forest photo competition ‘Celebrating the New Forestry Programme 2023-2027’ with the theme of category 3 is “The Forest Harvest”.

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Forests of course provide a bountiful harvest of timber and firewood, but there are other products from the forest such as berries, mushrooms and even edible leaves and sap. The variety of products was reflected in the photo entries from both the adult and junior age categories. Hundreds of entries were received from across the country.

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The winning photos, as well as those highly commended by the judges in the “The Forest Harvest” category, will shortly be available for viewing on the forestry section of the Teagasc website at www.teagasc.ie/forestphotos23   Teagasc  thanks the many entrants to the competition – for taking part, for presenting such fantastic entries and for reminding us all to look more closely at our woodlands and the beauty contained therein. 

This competition was coordinated by Teagasc with support from the Forestry Division of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.