Burnfoot schoolgirl Fabiora is Donegal's Spelling Bee

Burnfoot schoolgirl Fabiora Ava D’Almeida came out tops of Eason’s Donegal Spelling Bee, seeing off competition from across the county.

A sixth class pupil at St Mura’s National School in Tooban, Fabiora overcame 13 other competitors in the county final held in the Mount Errigal Hotel and will go on to represent Donegal at the regional competition in May. A keen reader, Fabiora is currently enjoying the Harry Potter series of novels.

"Faby has done herself, school, and family proud,” Mr Rory Grant, her teacher at St Mura’s, said. “She has excellent literacy skills across the board and has been so diligent in preparing for the competition.

“We were delighted to welcome her back to Tooban with a special guard of honour. She has been an excellent ambassador for the school, and we wish her well in the next stage.”

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The competition has fostered a greater appreciation for words, vocabulary growth, and self-confidence among participating children. Now in its 12th year, the Eason Spelling Bee is a key part of Eason's broader literacy initiative, designed to encourage and inspire children to develop their spelling and pronunciation skills.

Eason’s Lisa O’Brien said the company was delighted to have such talented children involved in the competition. “They are a testament to the bright young minds of Ireland,” she said. “We are confident that this year we will build on the success of 2024 and inspire communities to support their local schools and, especially, their spelling bees.”

The All-Ireland winning bee will secure a selection of books for their school library valued at €7,500, along with the coveted title of Eason Spelling Bee 2025 champion. The winner will also receive a goodie bag filled with books worth €500.

More than 450 schools nationwide will compete for this coveted prize, with words like juxtapose, ichthyology and subterranean just some of the difficult words the young competitors must learn.

The champions from each province will then compete head-to-head in the All-Ireland Final Bee in June 2025.