A combined 3rd and 4th class submission from Ballaghlea National School, Ballygar in Co. Galway in Galway has won the top national prize in the NDC’s Moo Crew – The Primary Dairy Moovement. 

The class have won the amazing experience of a training day visit Olympic boxer and primary school teacher Darren O’Neill plus sports equipment to the value of €1,200 for their school.

Over 800 primary schools initially registered for this year’s Moo Crew initiative, which was short-listed to 26 county winners, each receiving €100 euro book tokens; and further short-listed to three national finalists, who experienced a fantastic VIP trip for their class to Causey Farm in Co. Meath on June 19, 2014 which included activities such as bog-jumping, butter-making, a bodhrán workshop and they even learned how to milk a cow.

Moo Crew was first introduced to schools last year to help children in 3rd to 6th class learn about the importance of the ‘milk, yogurt and cheese’ shelf of the food pyramid in the context of a healthy, balanced diet and an active lifestyle.

The winning project for the pupils from 3rd and 4th class in Ballaghlea National School was entitled ‘Our Moo-ving Experience’ and their excellent project book details all of the activities that the classes undertook to ensure that the Moo Crew message reached the entire school.

The other two national finalists in this year’s NDC Moo Crew were:

  • Duleek BNS, Duleek, Co. Meath – 3rd class pupils whose project was entitled ‘Our Mooving Story: Duleek Discovers Dairy’
  • Banteer National School, Clonmean Road, Banteer, Co Cork – 5th & 6th class pupils whose projects were entitled ‘Daisy’s Dairy Diary Website’.