Launching the Du Noyer Junior Art Competition!

Du Noyer Junior: See Ireland Through a Geological Lens

Calling all student photographers and artists!

This year, for the first time, the Du Noyer Photo Competition is opening its doors to second-level students across the Republic of Ireland with a brand new Du Noyer Junior category.

From September to 31st October 2026, we’re asking students to look at the world around them and discover the geology hiding in plain sight.

📷 Photography or 🎨 Watercolour?

Inspired by George Victor Du Noyer, a 19th century geologist and talented watercolour artist, the Du Noyer Junior competition has two creative strands:

Photography: capture an interesting geological feature, landscape, rock or fossil through your camera.
Watercolour: create an original watercolour inspired by the geology around you.

Each student can submit one original entry.

What could you capture?

You don’t need to travel far to find something interesting. Look closely at the places you visit every day. You could explore:

rocky coastlines and beaches
mountains, hills and valleys
rocky outcrops in your local area
fossils or interesting textures in building stones
rocks, minerals or geological features
the ways geology has shaped the landscape around you

Your entry could be colourful, detailed, dramatic or completely unexpected. There’s no single right way to show geology. We want to see what catches your eye and makes you curious about the Earth.

So, grab your camera or your paintbrush and start exploring!

The Du Noyer Junior Competition is your chance to share your view of Ireland’s geology.