3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
The ‘Stay Safe with Jessy' competition brings farm safety to the classroom
Teagasc is proud to announce the launch of the 'Stay Safe with Jessy' farm safety art competition and webinar, a new initiative aimed at promoting farm safety among children.
The competition invites all primary school-going children across Ireland to participate in creating pieces of art that highlight the importance of safety practices in agriculture and on Irish farms.
The art competition will be followed by a live webinar on Thursday, June 19, at 11am. This 40-minute webinar, hosted by Alison Maloney of Teagasc, will be live-streamed from the Teagasc studio in Oak Park, Carlow. Joining Alison in the studio will be Jessy the Sheepdog and Francis Bligh, Farm Safety Specialist in Teagasc. They will be going live to St Joseph's National School in Rathwire, County Westmeath, where Alma Jordan from Agrikids will be discussing farm safety with students.
During the webinar on June 19, winners of the art competition will be announced.
There are three prize categories in the art competition, with an overall winner and runner-up in each. The categories are: Junior and Senior Infants; 1st–3rd Class; and 4th–6th Class. Get your entries in quickly, as the closing date is Friday, June 6 at 5pm.
Prizes include Smyths Toys vouchers to the value of €100 for each category winner, and an Agrikids Farm Safety Workshop with Alma Jordan for their school during the 2025/2026 school year. Each runner-up will receive a €25 Smyths Toys voucher.
In addition, each winner will receive a Lily Nolan Memorial Trophy for their school. Jessy the Sheepdog was originally developed in 2007 by the late Lily Nolan of Teagasc and the HSA. The storyline in the original book follows a dog called Jessy and her three puppies as they encounter various dangers on the farm. The book is available to download here.
Francis Bligh, Farm Safety Specialist in Teagasc, said: 'Farms can be dangerous places, especially for children. Through this campaign, we will be highlighting the main dangers and risks on farms, how to avoid them, and how to stay safe.'
Alison Maloney, Digital and Online Communications Specialist with Teagasc, said: 'I'm looking forward to hosting the Stay Safe with Jessy event. I'm thrilled to see Jessy come to life, and I would encourage all teachers and parents to support children in participating in the campaign. It's a great opportunity to start the conversation around farm safety with children who live on or visit farms.'
'It's been a real privilege to work alongside Teagasc on the Stay Safe with Jessy campaign,' added Alma Jordan of Agrikids. 'This initiative is specifically focused on children, who can be powerful messengers for safety at home and on the farm. By making these lessons engaging and age-appropriate, we're helping to build safer habits from a young age — and that can have a lasting impact.'
