For Orla O’Higgins, from Raheny in Dublin, the Gaisce journey has been an untraditional one.
What started as a transition year project in 2010 and continued during her studies in UCD 10 years ago has now finally come “full circle” for the 30-year-old, who was the oldest awardee to be recognised at Monday’s event.
Each year the Gaisce Gold Award ceremony celebrates the societal contribution made by young people, who have completed the personal development programme known as the President’s Award.
President Catherine Connolly presented 50 young people with the Gaisce Gold Award at a ceremony at the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham in Dublin.
RM Block
The Gaisce programme is completed between the ages of 14 to 25, but life got in the way for Ms O’Higgins.
“I went away that summer, did my J1, studied in New Zealand and then I moved abroad and I just never filled out the paperwork,” she said.
Having recently realised there was an option to complete her portfolio retrospectively, Ms O’Higgins worked with Gaisce to document the hours she had spent lifeguarding and hiking and earn her award.
“My main motivation for doing it was my grandad, because he loves the presidency, so I said it would be gas if I could just get him to the ceremony.”
Lochlánn Ó Laifeartaigh (19) from Armagh was another awardee to receive a Gaisce Gold Award from Ms Connolly for his volunteer work teaching Irish at his local youth club.
Mr Ó Laifeartaigh is now a first-year student of Irish language and literature at Ulster University. Scouting and hiking in the Mourne Mountains were other activities he completed to achieve his gold award.
“I’ve now become a leader and am helping out with younger ones [scouts]. It’s an eye-opening experience. You get to teach them the skills you have learned and instil in them the joy that you have had,” he said.
“It’s something you never want to leave.”
This year’s participants mastered a wide range of skills, activities and projects, from learning the saxophone, studying Chinese and researching cancer cells to volunteering in youth and community work and developing their leadership abilities. They collectively contributed more than 347,000 hours of community volunteering to the award.
Among those who took to the stage were brothers Ruairí O’Brolchain (21) and Senan O’Brolchain (20) from Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary.
“You get awarded for basically doing stuff for you,” said Ruairí of the experience.
Ms Connolly, who presented Monday’s awards, said the participants had taken meaningful steps towards “a lifetime of active citizenship” and that achieving the award required fortitude, compassion and solidarity.
“To everyone receiving an award, each of your individual stories reminds us of the immense potential that lies within each and every one of you no matter the circumstances. You have acquired new skills and improved old ones and discovered that with practice and diligence you are more capable than you had known,” she said.
“It is sometimes difficult to imagine the difference that any single individual can make, but your achievements have shown what is possible. You have taken courage in your hands with countless acts of kindness, compassion and solidarity. I can tell you have made an enormous difference.”
Chair of Gaisce’s council, Áine Kerr spoke at the awards ceremony, which was led by Irish actor and writer Tara Flynn.
In advance of the prize giving, Ms Kerr said “the brilliance of Gaisce is that it truly tries to ensure that all kids regardless of your background have an opportunity to do it”.
“As somebody who’s a former teacher, who believes in education being the great equaliser and liberator, that is the importance of Gaisce as an informal track and education pathway that helps kids find their tribe,” she said.
