Young Kilcormac carers honoured at Garda Youth Awards

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

Among them were five special achievement winners including Holly and Tiernan Donnelly from Kilcormac.

The other special achievement winners were; Ian Flood from Clonbullogue, Hamid Hossini, St Brendan’s Community School, Birr and Moira Scott, Gallen Community School, Ferbane

Holly and Tiernan Donnelly

Holly and Tiernan Donnelly from Kilcormac were nominated by Martina Shortall of Youthwork Ireland Midlands. They are from Kilcormac, Co. Offaly and they both attend The Young Carers Group at Tullamore Youth Project. Holly and Tiernan are young carers to their younger sibling Henry who has complex needs and requires a lot of support and care by family members. Holly along with Tiernan carry out many household chores between cleaning and cooking alongside attending school and social groups and are a great support for each other in doing this.

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

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

The profiles of all the other winners can be viewed on www.offalyindependent.ie

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.