Transition Year students from across Clare have been recognised for their creativity and work on environmental issues as part of the Rubbish Film Festival 2025–2026.
The Rubbish Film Festival is an award-winning programme where students create short, one-minute films about environmental topics. The festival helps students learn about sustainability while also building skills in filming and editing. It encourages them to think about climate action, waste reduction and how we use resources.
Clare County Council supported five secondary schools’ participation in this year’s Rubbish Film Festival with a focus on the theme of littering and the circular economy. The project encouraged students to tell their own stories about litter issues and explore ways to reduce littering and waste and support more circular ways of living. The programme was funded this year through the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment’s Anti-Litter and Anti-Graffiti Grant Scheme.
This is the second year the festival has run in Clare with the support from Clare County Council. This year, a total of 65 students took part in a two-day workshop on environmental storytelling through film. Schools involved included Scariff Community College, Mary Immaculate Secondary School Lisdoonvarna, Ennis Community College, St Caimin’s Community School and Ennistymon Community School.
Films from all participating schools can be viewed here.
Environmental Awareness Officer with Clare County Council, Karen Foley said, “It’s great to see students getting involved and using creativity to talk about litter and waste. The films show strong ideas and a real understanding of the issues. The festival gave young people a chance to speak up and take action. Well done to all the students involved.”
Students from Clare achieved strong results at regional level. Ennis Community College won Best Film for ‘Hooked on Plastic’. Mary Immaculate Secondary School won Runner-Up for ‘The Influencer’. Scariff Community College won Best Poster for ‘Wasteland of Oz’.
The films looked at issues like litter, pollution and sustainability. Students showed both the problems and possible solutions. Teachers noted that students were very engaged and enthusiastic. Many students said the project helped them speak about environmental issues with confidence. Some schools have already taken action, including participating in the An Taisce Green Schools programme, setting up litter-picking groups and starting more conversations about sustainability.
