NIO Platinum Jubilee rug competition shortlist revealed

Primary school children from every county in Northern Ireland have taken part in this unique competition to design a special gift for Her Majesty the Queen as part of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations. The finalists were chosen from over 2000 designs depicting ‘snapshots of Northern Ireland’ imagined as a postcard to Her Majesty the Queen.

The winning design will be manufactured by Portadown based Ulster Carpets into a wonderful rug. Ulster Carpets was recently granted a Royal Warrant by Her Majesty The Queen, one of only three Northern Ireland companies to hold such an honour.

The rug will be unveiled at a special ceremony later this year, with the winning child and their class invited to the event. The specially designed jubilee rug will be delivered to Her Majesty the Queen following the ceremony.

Minister of State for Northern Ireland Conor Burns said:

“I am overwhelmed with the quality and quantity of responses we have received from children in every county in Northern Ireland.”.

“I’d like to thank all the children, parents and teachers who have helped to mark this historic occasion in such a special way. It has been an incredibly difficult job to choose just 30 from amongst such amazing designs.

“I can’t wait to see the winning design brought to life by the wonderfully talented designers at Ulster Carpets, who have recently been awarded the Royal Warrant by Her Majesty.

Group Managing Director of Ulster Carpets Nick Coburn said:

“We are amazed at the creativity and imagination shown by our talented young people. They have really captured the many different ways that we think of this wonderful place that we live in. We look forward to transforming one of these designs into a rug for Her Majesty The Queen.”

Principal of Foyle Integrated Primary, Neville Watson said:

“We loved the innovative idea of a child’s artistic expression of a snapshot of Northern Ireland being turned into a rug and it was great to see so many children taking the idea and running with it. To hear that we’ve had some of our pupils make it into the final 30 is really exciting and there will be lots of little fingers crossed here in anticipation of the result!”

ENDS

Notes to editors

• For press enquiries, contact communications@nio.gov.uk
• List of schools shortlisted
  • Aughnaloy Primary School
  • Birches Primary School
  • Braniel Primary School
  • Carryduff Primary School
  • Donaghadee Primary Schoo;
  • Downshire Primary School
  • Drumadonnell Primary School
  • Dundonald Primary School
  • Edenderry Primary School
  • Enniskillen Model Primary School
  • Forge Integrated Primary School
  • Iveagh Primary School
  • Kesh Primary School
  • Larne & Inver Primary School
  • Lisanally Special School
  • Lisbellaw Primary School
  • McClintock Primary School
  • Moira Primary School
  • Omagh Integrated Primary School
  • Penrhyn Strathearn Prep
  • Portstewart Primary School
  • St Joseph’s Primary School
  • Tandragee Primary School
  • Whiteabbey Primary School