Inspirational Offaly duo attend launch of this year's Garda Youth Awards

Two previous winners of Laois/Offaly Garda Youth Awards were in attendance this week as the 2024 awards were launched.

Ailis Malone, from Banagher, and Ian Flood, from Tullamore, were present at the launch event, which was held in the Killeshin Hotel, Portlaoise, on Wednesday.

The annual awards celebrate outstanding young people in Laois and Offaly who are between 13 and 21 years of age.

They are designed to recognise good work being done by young people throughout their communities and also to acknowledge those who have faced and overcome personal challenges in their lives.

Ailis Malone won an individual award in 2023 and went on to represent the Laois/Offaly division at the National Garda Youth Awards in November.

She was recognised for her positive contribution to her community and was honoured with a national award.

Ailis is strong and passionate advocate for inclusion and disability. She is an inspiring young person demonstrating that it's possible to live a rich and full life with disability and beyond limitation.

Ian Flood was also honoured at both divisional and national level in 2023, and won a Special Recognition Award for his actions in preventing a crash when his mother, Julia, experienced a cardiac arrest while driving him to school.

A passing motorist stopped to assist him with CPR, but, sadly, Julia passed away.

Ian's quick thinking and clarity of mind during this traumatic incident meant he brought the car under control and prevented a potentially serious road traffic collision.

The divisional Garda Youth Awards are presented both individually and to groups. They are presented in four categories: Individual award, Group award, Special achievement award and Community safety award.

Nominations for deserving young people may be made by individuals, community and voluntary groups, schools, youth groups or other organisations.

The closing date for nominations is 5pm on Thursday, February 29.

Nomination forms are available to download via the Laois/Offaly Garda Division Facebook page and at www.garda.ie.

Completed forms should be emailed to laoisoffalygardayouthawards@garda.ie or dropped to your local Community Policing Garda at Portlaoise, Tullamore or Birr Garda Stations.

Award nominees will be submitted to a judging panel who select divisional winners in each category.

The award winners will then be celebrated at a special event at on March 21 in the Killeshin Hotel, Portlaoise.

Present at the launch on Wednesday were the following members from the Laois Offaly Garda Division: Chief Superintendent Anthony Lonergan, Superintendent Eamon Curley, Inspector Joe Culliton, Inspector Jane Ryan, Garda Jean Tierney, Garda Grace Heffernan, Garda Aran Grehan and Garda Ronan Maher.

Supermacs has supported the Laois/Offaly Garda Youth Awards since 2018 and was represented by the company's Managing Director, Pat McDonagh, Philip Peake of Só Hotels, also a member of the Youth Awards Judging Panel, and Shane Byrne Comerford, Manager of Supermacs Portlaoise Plaza.