Up the airy mountain,
Down the rushy glen…
William Allingham wrote those lines about the countryside around Ballyshannon. Every year we ask the primary school children of Donegal and beyond to make something of their own – and every year they surprise us.
Our 2026 Primary Schools Competitions are now open, with Poetry, Short Story and Art categories, sponsored by Donegal ETB.
Closing date: Friday 9 October 2026
Writing: Poetry and Short Story
- Poems: maximum 100 words
- Short stories: maximum 2,000 words
- Entries must be typed and previously unpublished
- Your name shouldn’t appear anywhere on the story or poem itself — only on the entry form
- Attach a copy of the entry form to each entry
- No limit on the number of entries
Categories: Junior (up to and including Fourth Class) and Senior (Fifth and Sixth Class).
Enter online, or download the form and post it.
Visit the Competitions page: https://allinghamfestival.com/competitions/primary-schools-competition/
Art
- Two pieces of artwork per child
- Flat format, A4 copy paper
- Individual entries only
- Complete the entry form in block capitals and attach it to the back of the artwork
Categories: U7, U10 and U13, by age on the date of entry.
Art entries are by post only:
Allingham Art Competition, c/o Conor Carney, West Rock, Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal
Visit the Competitions Page for more info: https://allinghamfestival.com/competitions/primary-schools-competition/
Prizes and results
Trophies go to first, second and third in each section.
Shortlists and winners will be announced on this website and on our social media shortly before the festival. Only the first three in each section are contacted directly, so please include a phone number or email on the form.
Awards ceremony: Saturday 7 November 2026, 12.00pm, Abbey Arts Centre, Ballyshannon. Winners will be invited to read their own work and collect their trophies. Light refreshments from 11.30am. Everyone welcome.