The cosmopolitan Hillgrove Hotel in Monaghan Town was the setting for the second All-Ireland Children’s G8 Summit. Primary schools from many diverse areas of Ireland attended. Along with our own group of excellent fifth class pupils, we were joined by two Dublin schools, Balbriggan Educate Togeher and Griffeen Valley Educate Together from Lucan. St Mark’s Primary School based in the Twinbrook area of Belfast and Gracehill Primary School from Armagh were the two other schools from Northern Ireland who made up the quintet.

Many diverse topics were presented on the day including Racism, The Role of a Student Council for Children, Forty Years of St. Mark’s, The Hidden Cost of the World Cup and Animal Cruelty through the Recession.

The presentation was followed by a brainstorming session in which children from all schools mingled and gave their opinion on the very interesting topics discussed. An array of beautiful sandwiches, ciabatta rolls and chicken goujons kept the crew going until it was time to say goodbye and promise to meet again next year for yet another gathering.​