President presents five inaugural Hillery Medals for services to Gaisce

PRESIDENT MARY McAleese has paid tribute to the foresight of the late president Dr Patrick Hillery in setting up Gaisce, the President’s Award, 25 years ago.

She said he had established the youth award scheme during a “very, very deep recession” in 1985. There was very high unemployment, mass emigration, huge economic uncertainty and a general feeling of misery.

“But in that moment Paddy Hillery decided this is not a time to be paralysed by the mood of the moment. This is a moment for leaders, who believe in what we are capable of, to try to set in place a challenge that will showcase what we are capable of.”

She said he had planned to build a bridge to a different kind of future, “a future where our young people would flourish, where their genius would flourish and they would get a chance to shine”.

Gaisce had transformed thousands of young lives by introducing them to their own capacity for being stretched and tested in ways that made them extraordinary human beings, Mrs McAleese said.

The scheme involves people between 15 and 25 years old setting personal challenges in the areas of community involvement, personal skill, physical recreation and adventure. Challenges could include learning a new language, succeeding in a new sport or doing voluntary work in the community.

Mrs McAleese said Dr Hillery had done so much service for our country “and did it in exactly the way that Pals (President’s Award leaders) do it, quietly, never for notice, never for attention, for one thing and one thing only, for service to country”.

The introduction of Gaisce had built on the “already remarkable, transformative work that he had achieved in and through the education of our young people when he was a government minister and the huge investment he also made through his work in Europe where he did phenomenal work on behalf of Ireland and on behalf of the European Union”.

In the presence of Dr Hillery’s wife Maeve, she presented the inaugural Hillery Medal to five people who had each given more than 21 years’ “exceptional service” to Gaisce.

They included Maura Conneally, a secondary school teacher in Galway. She first introduced Gaisce to her school in Letterkenny more than 20 years ago, but also went on to introduce it to schools in Oranmore and Kinvara.

Dubliner Kay Durkin was also awarded a Hillery Medal. As a parent she decided to introduce Gaisce to her daughter’s school – St Mary’s Holy Faith School in Killester, Dublin. She has been running the programme ever since.

Retired secondary school teacher James Guinan was honoured for his work in running the scheme at Coláiste Bhríde in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford.

Majella Killeen from Galway was the first person to receive the Gaisce gold award in 1988 and yesterday the Order of Malta commandant won a Hillery Medal.

The fifth Hillery Medal went to John T Murphy, director of development with Gaisce since it was set up in 1985. He also volunteers as a President’s Award leader.

Mrs McAleese presented civic merit awards to more than 65 voluntary President’s Award leaders who have worked with Gaisce for at least five years.

Award winners included Andrew Forde who is mentoring three young people from Kosovo who are undertaking the Irish programme from their country. He worked as a human rights officer in Kosovo.

Mrs McAleese said it would be impossible to fully quantify the investment that the Gaisce leaders had made in our young people. She said the Gaisce leaders motivated, counselled, and coached Ireland’s young citizens to reach beyond comfort zones and develop in themselves new skills, new strengths and experiences.

Civic Merit Awards: Leaders Who Have Worked With Gaisce For At Least Five Years

Amanda Brady, Loreto College, Cavan. Ciaran Samuel Byrne, Coláiste Lorcain, Castledermot, Co Kildare. Margaret Byrnes, Colaiste Bhride, Carnew, Co Wicklow. Kevin Cadogan, Ramsgrange Community School, Wexford. Emma Cafferkey, CBS, Omagh, Co Tyrone. Julie Callaghan, Crescent College Comprehensive, Limerick. Anne-Marie Clarke, Jesus and Mary Sec School, Enniscrone, Co Sligo. Áine Clarke, Calasanctius Presentation College, Galway. Lucy Coakley, Loreto College, Cavan. Catherine Cooke-Harkin, St Columba’s College, Stranorlar, Co Donegal. Tony Corbett, Caritas College, Dublin. Miriam Corboy, Sacred Heart School, Drogheda, Co Louth. Angela Costello, Calasanctius College, Oranmore, Co Galway. Serena Crawford, Scoil Mhuire Buncrana, Donegal. Emer Davitt, Mount Saint Michael, Claremorris, Co Mayo. Trisha Derwin, CGI, Dublin and Wexford. Rosina Dillon, Coláiste Chiaráin, Croom, Co Limerick. Yvonne Doherty, St Eunan’s College, Letterkenny, Co Donegal. Josephine Donnellan, Scoil Mhuire, Ennistymon, Co Clare. David Downey, Coláiste Easkey, Sligo. Catherine Doyle, Abbey Community College, Wicklow town. Dorothy Duffy, Jesus and Mary Sec School, Enniscrone, Co Sligo. Carmel Dunne, Loreto High School, Beaufort, Dublin. Siobhan Finnegan, Kells Youthreach, Co Meath. Sandra Flood, CGI, Navan Road, Dublin. Andrew Forde, TEO, DCU, Kosovo Group. Mark Flynn, Ballinrobe CS, Co Mayo. Peter Garry, Coláiste Choilm, Cork. Barbara Geoghegan, CGI, Navan Road, Dublin. Mary Gibbons, Deele College, Raphoe, Co Donegal. Therésé Hogan, Mount Mercy College, Cork. Carmel Hughes, Jesus Mary Sec School, Sligo. Mary Hughes, St Mary’s Dio School, Drogheda, Co Louth. Mary Hurley, Teresian School, Dublin 4. Tom Joyce, St Aengus, Mountrath, Co Laois. Grainne Kelehan, Calasanctius College, Oranmore, Co Galway. Denise Kenna, Saint Angela’s College, Sligo. Jacqueline Langan, Moyne College, Co Mayo. Florence Le Breton, Calasanctius College, Galway. Eugene Lynch, Coláiste Bhride, Carnew. Paul Marron, St Paul’s Sec School, Monasterevin, Co Kildare. Shane McArt, Crana College, Donegal. Mary McCarthy-O’Brien, Bandon Grammar School, Cork. Aiden Patrick McHugh, Athy Gym Club, Co Kildare. Terry McKenna, Sacred Heart College, Omagh, Co Tyrone. Elaine Mills, Our Ladys College, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co Louth. Margaret Mohan, Mount Temple Comp School, Dublin. Marion Moloney, St Mary’s Naas, Co Kildare. Kathleen Moran, St Paul’s CC, Waterford. Geraldine Murphy, Tír na nÓg Youth Club, Togher, Cork. Mary Murphy, Tullow Community School, Carlow. Mairéad Ní Fhátharta, Gairmscoil Einne, Galway. Máire Ní Fhéinne, Glenamaddy Community School, Galway. Celine Ní Ghallchoir, Coláiste Ailigh, Donegal. Bairbre Ní Shioradáin, Coláiste Íosagáin, Dublin. Mícheál Ó Culáin, Gairmscoil Einne, Galway. Michael A O’Brien, Deerpark CBS, Cork. Ann O’Mahony, Presentation Sec School, Tralee, Co Kerry. Gerardine O’Mahony, St Joseph’s SS, Charlestown, Co Mayo. Audrey O’Rourke, St Mary’s Secondary School, Newport, Co Tipperary. Deirdre O’Shaughnessy, Calasanctius College, Oranmore, Co Galway. Myra Reynolds, Mohill Voc School and Mohill Commjunity College, Co Leitrim. Kevin Rice, National Learning Network, Dublin. Finola Ryan, Maryfield College, Dublin. Tricia Ryan, Mount Mercy College, Model Farm Rd, Cork. Maria Sheehan, St Caimin’s Community School, Shannon, Co Clare. Catherine Sweeney, TEO, Gaisce council member, Dublin and Wicklow. Errol Sweeney, Wilson’s Hospital School, Multyfarnham, Co Westmeath. Patricia Uí Fhlaithartha, Calasanctius College, Galway.