Carlow College was proud to be represented at the launch of the 2026 edition of Carloviana in the Seven Oaks Hotel, Carlow, on 11 December 2025. 

Two recent Carlow College graduates, Jill Kennedy-McGrath and Kayla White, were presented with the Carlow Historical and Archaeological Society (CHAS) Third Level Prize in recognition of their outstanding essays. The awards were presented by Dr Ida Milne, History lecturer at Carlow College and a member of the CHAS committee.

The prize-winning essays by Jill and Kayla, along with contributions from fellow Carlow College graduates Adam Kane and John Kelly, are published in the latest edition of Carloviana, the local history journal now in its 74th year. The judges praised the competition entries for their exceptionally high standard. The competition was open to current undergraduate and postgraduate students of Carlow College.

The awards were presented during the launch event, which featured historian and author Turtle Bunbury as guest speaker. He described Carloviana as “an amazing resource for historians” and highlighted its importance as a record of local and national history.

The evening also celebrated the dedicated voluntary work of the Carlow Historical and Archaeological Society and its editor, John Kelly, in producing the 200-page annual journal.

Carloviana is available from local bookshops across County Carlow and online via the CHAS website.

Pictured: Jill Kennedy-McGrath and Kayla White with Dr Ida Milne, CHAS President Helen Doyle and guest speaker Turtle Bunbury.
Picture credit: Paul Curran.