A BOAT purchased to encourage imaginative play outdoors has already paid dividends as the senior pupils of Kilgarriffe National School in Clonakilty scooped an outstanding achievement in filmmaking award at the recent 2026 FAS Award Ceremony at the Helix in Dublin.

Their award-winning movie Our Adventure Boat to Egypt was scripted by pupils Dan Buttimer, Alex Marks, Lars Murphy and Beatrice O’Callaghan Platt.

They cajoled their fellow senior pupils to act in the movie that centred on the fishing boat in the school’s complex. The movie is based on how a child’s wishes to visit the pyramids in Egypt by boat comes to fruition.

Parents also played a part and built an enormous green screen. With the support of Rev Kingsley Sutton, and using green screen technology and the special effects App - LumaFusion, the young film makers set the boat in Egypt.

Winning the award was akin to an Oscar for these enthusiastic pupils. Their delighted school principal Susan Hanbidge said : ‘We are super proud of how our tiny school is punching above its weight, winning national awards for creativity and filmmaking. One of the big advantages to partaking in these initiatives is that it gives each pupil an opportunity to shine. It’s not all about rote learning and regurgitation.’