Castlerea wins public speaking contest

Mental health: A team from Castlerea Community School in Co Roscommon, has won the 2004 National Public Speaking Project, which…

Mental health: A team from Castlerea Community School in Co Roscommon, has won the 2004 National Public Speaking Project, which was organised by Mental Health Ireland.

Paul Rushe, Breda O'Connor and Brian McTague emerged as winners from a keenly contested final held in the Edmund Burke Theatre, Trinity College, Dublin, at the weekend.

The Public Speaking Project is part of Mental Health Ireland's effort to focus the attention of young people in particular on the benefits of positive mental health attitudes, at a time when young people are coming under increasing pressure, often with serious consequences.

According to Mental Health Ireland, it has become just as important to train young people to recognise and cope with pressures, which may affect their mental well-being as it has traditionally been to train them to care for their physical well-being through sports.