Brave Ian honoured at the local Garda Youth Awards

There were eight Offaly winners at the Laois Offaly Garda Divisional Youth Awards which took place on Thursday, March 23.

There were four Special Achievement winners from Offaly. These were; Ian Flood from Clonbullogue, Hamid Hossini, St Brendan’s Community School, Birr, Moira Scott, Gallen Community School, Ferbane and Holly and Tiernan Donnolly, Youthwork Ireland Midlands.

Ian Flood

Ian Flood was nominated by his aunt Margaret. On January 7, 2020, Ian, then aged fifteen years was a front seat passenger being driven to school by his mother Julia. While en route the car veered over to the wrong side of the road. Ian somehow managed to bring the car over to the correct side of the road and bring it to a stop. Having stopped the car Ian immediately sought help for his mother and got the attention of a number of motorists and the emergency services were contacted. He then assisted one motorist carry his mother from the car to perform CPR. At the time Julia was going into cardiac arrest and a short time later sadly passed away. He believes that CPR training should be introduced into the post primary schools curriculum.

There were two individual award winners from Offaly on the night, Ailís Malone from Banagher College and Eric Grimes from Tullamore College.

Read their stories here and here

The Group Award winners were Video Vibers from the Acorn Project, Edenderry and Shinrone Youth Initiative.

Read the stories of both groups here and here

The 2023 Laois Offaly Garda Divisional Youth Awards took place on Thursday, March 23 at The Killeshin Hotel, Portlaoise.

A Garda Youth Award recognises the outstanding achievement of young people between the ages of 13 and 21 years.