Four members of Mullingar Camera Club awarded Licentiate Distinctions
Four members of Mullingar Camera Club were awarded Licentiate Distinctions on the weekend the club hosted the Irish Photographic Federation (IPF) National Club Championships at the Atrium in the County Buildings.
Aisling Aughey, Rodney Clery, Ben Millett and Noel Murphy received their awards from IPF president, Ita Hegarty. Each had submitted a panel of 10 images showcasing their photographic skills, which were assessed by a team of eight experienced photographers against an agreed standard for the distinction level.
For the Licentiate, it was necessary to demonstrate sound photographic competence, consistency, control and presentation. After passing the required criteria, successful applicants are awarded certificates and distinction pins and are entitled to use the post nominal letters LIPF.
The IPF Club Championships weekend is a celebration of club photography, printmaking, creativity and commitment, and it brings together photographers from across the country to showcase the strength of work being produced in our federation of clubs.
The championships are an opportunity to compete, meet, exchange ideas, see outstanding print work on display and enjoy the company of fellow photographers.
Mullingar hosted the event on May 23 and 24, and the May Distinction Sitting was on that Saturday in he Mullingar Arts Centre.
The success of the weekend is due mainly to the participation of the many Mullingar Camera Club members who worked behind the scenes and Westmeath County Council for the provision of the Atrium and arts Centre.
Having identified a need to improve the club’s portrait images, Mullingar Camera Club held several themed workshops and competitions during the year to encourage members to try out that particular photographic genre.
The results of all the work certainly paid off and nine members contributed images for the club championships.
Unlike last year, when each club’s images were assessed as one panel, this year all images were independently assessed by three international judges, Anne Greiner, Rod Wheelans and Gordon Jenkins.
The Mullingar club was placed 15th in the monochrome panel and 12th in the colour panel, and the net effect of those placings improved the overall performance by 11 places from last year, putting the club among the top 15 clubs in the country.
Additionally, club member Pat Weir received a Judges Choice Award for his mono print titled Aligned.
New committee
At the club AGM, new committee members were elected; chairperson Anna Allen, vice-chairperson Barry Monaghan; Fergus Tuomey and Paul Murphy were re-elected as secretary and treasurer respectively. Thanks were also paid to past chairperson Colm Kerr for his leadership during the last season.
The next and final meeting of the season will feature the club’s mono and colour images from the national championships and the panels of the new four Licentiate members, who will talk about their photography experiences and the stories behind the images.
Membership
If you are interested in photography and would like to meet like minded people, Mullingar Camera Club welcome new members. Founded in 1978, the main aim of Mullingar Camera Club is about enjoying photography and helping one another improve photographic skills. Whatever level or standard in photography, there is always something to learn. Members try to promote creativity through photography, to share and critique their photographs, to educate and improve technical skills, and to spread their passion for photography.
They meet every Wednesday in Áras an Mhuilinn, Mount Street, Mullingar, 7.30-9pm; meetings resume in early September 2026.
Further information
For further information about the club, the email address is secretarycameraclub@hotmail.com; website mullingarcameraclub.com; plus Facebook and Instagram.