President Michael D Higgins has presented 73 young people with the Gaisce Gold Award at a ceremony in Áras an Uachtaráin.
Each year the Gaisce Gold Award ceremony celebrates the societal contribution made by young people.
Among the gold medal winners were Ebunoluwa Jamgbadi from Athlone, who described the process as being “transformative”.
Gaisce has helped her develop confidence and a sense of responsibility which have allowed her to give back to her community, she said.
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“Thanks to Gaisce, I have embraced an active lifestyle and developed key leadership skills, which I hope to use to continue to give back to my community,” she said.
“I hope that I can inspire more young people from all backgrounds to get involved and take advantage of the empowerment opportunities that Gaisce provides.”
Another gold medal winner was rowing enthusiast Aoibhinn Coffey from Tralee, who said pursuing her Gaisce award had pushed her out of her comfort zone.
“I have also loved the opportunities which Gaisce has afforded me, from meeting new people and being part of a team to being able to use my creative skills to help develop new training programmes for youth rowers,” she said.
[ In Pictures: Mental and physical tests of the Defence Forces Gaisce ChallengeOpens in new window ]
“The Gaisce award has helped me gain confidence and give back to my community.”
Gaisce – The President’s Award is a personal development programme for young people aged 14 to 25.
President Higgins said the awards “honour the hard work, perseverance and commitment of our Gaisce Gold recipients”.
He added: “This moment represents the pinnacle of a journey on which you have embarked with courage, dedication, and vision, a journey that has shaped you, deepened your understanding of community, a testament to your determination and the personal growth that you have each achieved.
“In earning the Gold Award, each of you has undertaken a unique journey of personal and social development; volunteered your time, energy and talent to help others, to be a light for those in need. In doing so, you have become agents of change, shaping a brighter and more inclusive world.”
This year’s participants mastered a wide range of skills, activities and projects, from learning Irish Sign Language and Chinese, to hiking some of Ireland’s most challenging peaks, volunteering in youth and community work, learning a musical instrument and developing their leadership skills.
This year’s Gold recipients dedicated a total of 21,060 hours to achieving personal goals and volunteering within their communities.
The award ceremony featured sustainable fashion designer and Gaisce gold awardee Miriam Keegan and Irish actor and writer Tara Flynn.
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