The 2026 St. Michael’s College Awards for Irish Heritage
To honour Canada’s Irish Heritage Month in March, the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto, in collaboration with the Embassy of Ireland and Consulate General of Ireland, Toronto, announces awards celebrating the important historic and continuing contribution of the Irish in Canada.
Ontario Elementary and Secondary school students are invited to submit projects that explore and celebrate Irish heritage in our city, province and country.
Are You a Creative Elementary or Secondary Student from Ontario?
Explore the Irish Canadian experience and history for Irish Heritage Month through your favourite medium, whether writing an essay, poetry or a short story; visual arts like painting or photography; or something performative through video or music. Show us how you would celebrate Irish heritage in Canada!
Deadline
The deadline to submit your projects is Friday, March 27, 2026.
Awards Offered
There are six awards in total: three for elementary students and three for secondary students. Each award is valued at $100.
All award recipients will receive a certificate of achievement at a presentation ceremony at St. Michael’s in April (TBD).
Each Award of Merit recipient will also receive a $100.00 honorarium.
Criteria
Projects may offer one or a combination of the following in response to the theme of the competition: visual interpretation (e.g. painting, photography), literary interpretation (e.g. short story, poem, journal article, essay), multi-media interpretation (e.g. digital, video, recorded performance), or musical interpretation.
Submissions are expected to explore the rich and lasting realities of the Irish experience in Canada, and will be judged on originality, creativity, and quality. Projects will be adjudicated by a panel from the University of St. Michael’s College.
How to Submit
Projects can be submitted on or before Friday, March 27, 2026:
- By email to pa.sheehan@utoronto.ca
- Or delivered to 81 St. Mary Street, Toronto, ON M5S 1J4
- Attention Prof. Pa Sheehan, Celtic Studies, St. Michael’s College
Questions?
Please contact Prof. Sheehan at pa.sheehan@utoronto.ca