After receiving entries from Transition Year students across Ireland, we’re delighted to announce the results of the 2026 PicTours TY Phone Photography Competition.
This year’s theme, “Ireland Through Your Lens”, challenged students to capture a unique perspective of Ireland using only a smartphone. The standard of entries was exceptionally high, with students showcasing creativity, technical skill, and a keen eye for storytelling through photography.
🏆 Overall Winner
Freya Fitzgerald – Ashton School
Congratulations to our overall winner, whose image stood out for its creativity, composition, and ability to capture a memorable moment of Irish life.
The winning photograph impressed the judging panel with its strong visual impact and thoughtful interpretation of the competition theme. As the overall winner, Freya Fitzgerald receives the €100 cash prize and will have their photograph featured across the PicTours website and social media channels.
Judge’s comment:
“This is such a well thought and planned photo. On top of it, it’s also beautiful to look at.
You can definitely tell that the flashlight is the only source of light. It’s thanks to it that we are able to see this person playing piano. Without the light, everything would be invisible, meaning only the melody produced by the piano would be sensed by another. This flashlight is harsh and somehow unsettling.
The light also exposes this person’s hands filled with bruises and scars. They show a clear mark of violence. It’s not shown why or how, which makes everything even more mysterious and interesting to observe.
I like how the bandaids try to hide the pain, just like the darkness in this room does. It’s almost like this person plays in the dark, so they won’t have to face their suffering. Nobody would notice these scars by listening to the piano, but this image shows them. This image exposes something deeper in a very effective and direct way.”
📸 Shortlisted Finalists
The judging panel also selected eight outstanding photographs for this year’s shortlist. Every finalist should be extremely proud of their achievement.
2026 Shortlist
- Juhaina – Mount Carmel
- Pablo Canales – St Brendans
- Ella Houghton – St. Raphaelas
- Leo Keane – St. Brendan’s
- Saria Malik – St Raphaelas
- Ruby Houghton – St Raphaelas
- Oisin Donohue – St. Brendan’s Birr
The Talent on Display
This competition once again highlighted the incredible creativity of Transition Year students throughout Ireland. Entries ranged from dramatic landscapes and coastal scenes to urban photography, wildlife, architecture, and everyday moments that reflected life in Ireland.
What impressed the judges most was the ability of students to create compelling images using equipment they carry every day in their pockets. The competition demonstrates that great photography is about observation, creativity, and storytelling as much as it is about technology.
Thank You to Students and Teachers
We would like to thank every student who entered and every teacher, TY Coordinator, and Year Head who supported the competition in their school.
The enthusiasm shown by students across the country made this year’s competition a fantastic success, and we look forward to running future photography competitions that encourage young people to develop their creative skills.
Special Thanks to Our Judge
A special thank you to Diana Nobre, one of our PicTours photography guides in Dublin, who kindly judged this year’s competition.
With so many excellent entries submitted from across Ireland, selecting a winner and shortlist was no easy task. Diana carefully reviewed each photograph, considering creativity, composition, technical quality, and how effectively the image reflected the theme, “Ireland Through Your Lens.”
We greatly appreciate her support and contribution in helping make the 2026 PicTours Transition Year Phone Photography Competition such a success.
Looking Ahead to 2027
The success of this year’s competition means we’ll be back again next year. The 2027 PicTours Transition Year Phone Photography Competition will open in January 2027, with full details, themes, prizes, and entry information to be announced at that time.
We encourage students, teachers, and schools to keep an eye on PicTours throughout the year for updates, photography tips, and future opportunities to get involved.
Congratulations once again to our winner, shortlisted finalists, and everyone who took part in the 2026 PicTours Ireland Transition Year Phone Photography Competition.
Stay tuned to PicTours for future competitions, photography tips, and opportunities for students across Ireland.
I’d also suggest adding a line immediately below the winner’s photo:
Think you can do better? The 2027 PicTours TY Phone Photography Competition will launch in January 2027. Follow PicTours for updates and entry details.
That gives you a strong call-to-action for next year’s competition and helps with repeat participation.
