Picture taken of Kilkenny river is runner-up in LAWPRO World Water Day photography competition

A Kilkenny man’s picture has been named runner-up in the ‘My Favourite Waterbody’ national photography competition run as part of the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) World Water Day celebrations.

Sean Nikken’s photo of the River Nore at Inistioge, Kilkenny was hailed by judges alongside two other runners-up and one overall winner selected in the competition run by LAWPRO, the national shared service working on behalf of the 31 local authorities in Ireland coordinating efforts to achieve good water quality across the country in rivers, lakes, estuaries, ground and coastal waters.
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The overall competition winner is Raivis Rodenbikers, from Tralee in Co Kerry for his photo of Lough Caum in Kerry. Raivis won the top prize of a €500 voucher for Powerscourt Hotel Resort and Spa in Wicklow along with a framed print of his winning photo.

The runners-up awards are as follows: Sean Nikken, with his photo of the River Nore at Inistioge, Kilkenny, Brigid Mullooly, with her photo of the River Shannon, in Longford, and Cheryl Poole, with her photo of the River Bann in Co Wexford.
LAWPRO received 375 competition photos, which were shortlisted by an internal panel and the winners were selected by an external judge, the well-known environmentalist, wildlife expert and author Éanna Ní Lamhna.

“This year’s photo competition was a celebration of the personal connections people have with their favourite waterbodies,” said Ms Ní Lamhna.

“People were asked to share photos of the places they love; the rivers, lakes, and wetlands that speak to their hearts and they responded with images full of beauty, atmosphere, and emotion. The best entries didn’t just show a scenic view, they invited us in to imagine ourselves there too.”

Anthony Coleman, Director of Services at LAWPRO said: “We are delighted to announce the winners of the ‘My Favourite Waterbody’ photo competition as part of LAWPRO’s World Water Day celebrations.

“We would like to thank all of the participants in the competition and in particular congratulate our overall winner and three runners-up. The photos showcased Ireland’s inland waterways, lakes and coastal waters and communicated a sense of beauty, tranquillity and wellbeing in people’s favourite waterside places.”
Winning and shortlisted photos will be featured in LAWPRO’s 2026 calendar and winners will receive a calendar later in the year in addition to their prize.

For more information on the work of Local Authority Waters Programme please visit lawaters.ie.