Primary pupils create award-winning website

Parents and children have been urged to visit an award-winning website created by two North Galway primary school children that highlights farm safety.

The children were so concerned about farm accidents that they established a website that warns young people regarding the dangers on farms.

Farm deaths are a major concern amongst the agricultural community and particularly as several children have also lost their lives in tragic accidents in recent years.

It has resulted in two children from Cloghan’s Hill National School having established a website which encourages all kids to exercise care on farms.

The website has been established by Aoibheann Mangan and Padraic Godwin who are third class pupils of Cloghan’s Hill National School and are concerned about farm safety.

Padraic lives on a farm and Aoibheann lives next to a farm and they want to encourage children to beware of the dangers that exist.

They have now established a website which points to the dangers that children can experience on farms and particularly when it comes to tractors.

Cloghan’s Hill school principal Isuelt Mangan said that the website had received the support of the IFA who were fully behind the initiative and particularly when it came to the safety of kids on farms.

On the website they explain that 30 people died in farm related accidents in 2014 and five were children like themselves.

Already in 2015 we have seen farm accidents and fatalities occur. School holidays are when many accidents happen on the farm.

Galway East TD Paul Connaughton urged parents and children to get involved in the farm safety campaign which has been inspired by these youngsters.

The website is called farmsafety4kids.net and they are hoping that even if they save just one life, it will have proved worthwhile.

Aoibheann (8) and Padraic (9) have developed a website that is geared towards childrens’ safety on farms. It has been the recipient of a number of awards and has featured on TV stations both here and in Britain.

“Last week the pupils, along with school principal Iseult Mangan, met Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney and he was extremely impressed with the site and the message it conveys to children.

“The meeting took place in the Minister’s office in Dublin and Aoibheann and Padraic took the Minister through the various elements of the website and the message they are trying to convey to fellow children.

“Last year, one in every six farm fatalities was a child and children have to be aware and involved in any farm safety campaign.

“Initiatives such as those by the pupils of Cloghan’s Hill NS are very important in ensuring that the conversation about child safety on farms is heard by the right audience and that sites promoting farm safety for children are accessible and informative.

“I would like to congratulate Aoibheann and Padraic on their success to date and commend all staff and pupils at Cloghan’s Hill NS for raising awareness of this particularly important aspect of farm safety,” Deputy Connaughton said.