Kilkenny Lions Club Young Ambassador selected for the coming year

A TY student at Scoil Aireagail, Ballyhale has been selected as Kilkenny Lions Club Young Ambassador for the coming year.

Erin Walsh is very active in her local Ballyhale community, and she was recently voted chairperson of the school’s Young Vincent de Paul Group. If Erin is successful in winning the Ireland District YA final, she intends to use the bursary to fund sign language teaching for her TY year group in Scoil Aireagail.

Erin was supported by Ballyhale Parish Community with whom she volunteers. She will represent Kilkenny Lions Club in the Ireland District final on January 20, and if successful at that stage will go on to represent Ireland in the Europe final to be held in Bordeaux, France in October 2024.

Four candidates competed in the local final in Newpark Hotel, Kilkenny last week. Each candidate was interviewed by a three-person independent judging panel that went through their community service experience etc.

This year Kilkenny Lions Club, following an extensive engagement with schools and organisations such as Foroige and Ossory Youth received four applications from young people providing a wide range of services in their communities.

The other three candidates were :

Patrick Dungan is a TY student at Scoil Aireagail, Ballyhale. Patrick is very active across many aspects of community service for his local Mullinavat Matters community group including with others playing music for senior citizens in the Ballyhale Café. Patrick did his TY Work Experience with the Ombudsman for Children’s Rights in Dublin. If Patrick was successful in winning the Ireland District YA final, he would use the Bursary to fund Drama and Film Makers Workshops for his Foroige Youth Club.

Nicholas Lesniak is a fifth year student at Scoil Pobail Osrai, Kilkenny City. Nicholas has spent two years working as a volunteer with the Twilight Community Group Kilkenny. He currently holds a Youth Development Officer position in Twilight and has been responsible for setting up and currently runs their new social inclusion group for young people aged 13-17 from a diverse range of backgrounds. If Nicholas was successful in winning the Ireland District YA final, he would use the Bursary to fund equipment for a Quiet Room for the use of members of his Twilight Youth Inclusion Group.

Conall Scully is a TY student at CBS, Kilkenny City.  Conall is an active volunteer with Kilkenny Recreation and Sports Partnership (KRSP). He has assisted children to play sports such as tennis and soccer, Gaelic games, to ride a bike and he is currently an aide to a child with additional needs as part of Swim Buddies in KRSP. If Conall was successful in winning the Ireland District YA final, he would use the Bursary to fund acquiring pool noodles for the Swim Buddies Group and other sports equipment to assist children in taking up more sporting activities with KRSP.

Each candidate presented their experience by way of a short public speaking presentation. The judges made their assessment and determination of the winner based on four criteria, which are community service experience, personality and leadership qualities, proposal for use of the €1,000 nursary for their nominated community service and public speaking.

The Lions Young Ambassador scheme aims to recognise, encourage and support young people actively involved in the welfare of the community. In previous years, candidates have been involved in helping young and older people, disabled, able bodied and disadvantaged and have organised projects in conservation, crime prevention, promoting healthier lifestyles, and other
initiatives.

Marie Kennedy President Kilkenny Lions Club congratulated Erin on her win and wished her every success in the national final.

She also congratulated all of the candidates, their families and schools for the hard work that all had put in. She also thanked the three members of the independent judging panel Susan Olden (Chair), Caroline Traynor and Trevor Darlington. She thanked Lions member Kevin White and his team for organising so professionally the competition.

She said that all four candidates did themselves, their families, schools and local communities proud and wished them all continued success in various volunteering services for their communities.