Nominations officially open for the Roscommon Longford Garda Youth Awards

Groups, communities, or local organisations are invited to nominate a young person for the Roscommon Longford Garda Youth Awards.

The awards, which celebrate outstanding young people who have contributed to their local communities, close for entries on Friday, June 20 at 5pm.

The awards are in association with An Garda Síochána, Roscommon Longford Division, Longford and Roscommon County

Councils and the Local Community Safety Partnership.

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Local organisations or individuals are urged to nominate young people who are deserving of the award. Nominees must be between the ages of 13 and 21 and can be nominated for one of four categories:

* Individual – where a young person has made a positive contribution to their community making it a better place to live.

* Group – where two or more made a positive contribution to their community making it a better place to live.

* Special Achievement – where a young person has overcome difficult circumstances, defied all the odds and whose commitment deserves recognition.

* Community Safety – where a young person or persons, through a crime prevention or safety initiative or innovation, have made their community a safer place to live.

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The awards acknowledge the young people who by their presence make their communities and society in general, a better place in which to live. They also acknowledge the endeavours of young people who have faced and overcome challenges in their life.

Last year, the Individual Award winner was Killian Reid from Longford, who is a volunteer with the Civil Defence and with Backstage Youth Theatre in Longford. Killian assisted in a missing person search and achieved his drone licence. He also volunteered at various events ranging from Darkness into Light to being part of the Community First Responder Group.

The Group Award recipients in 2024 were the ‘Go Yellow’ campaign group, formed by students attending Mean Scoil Mhuire in Longford town. The initiative comprised four Transition Year students, Maria McGlynn, Ava Finneran, Aoibheann Brennan Grennan and Shauna Nolan. The girls set up their ‘Go Yellow’ fundraising and social media campaign, when Maria’s twin brothers were born prematurely at 24 weeks in the National Maternity Hospital. To date, the campaign has raised €33,238.

This project won a National Garda Youth Award.

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The Special Achievement recipient last year was 13-year-old Rebecca Reid, from Longford. Her condition, Medical Refractory Focal Epilepsy, requires her to receive 24/7 care. Despite this, Rebecca marked International Epilepsy Day collecting almost €5,500 for Epilepsy Ireland. She is also a member of Epilepsy Ireland’s group ‘Get ChARTy’

Chairperson of the Roscommon/Longford Youth Awards Inspector David Cryan commented that the Garda Youth Awards celebrates outstanding young people and recognises the excellent work being carried out by these individuals.

“These awards are a celebration of the courage, generosity and determination of young people who go above and beyond to make a positive impact in their communities.

Too often, the positive contributions of our youth go unnoticed. I have been involved with these awards for six years and each year I am inspired by the stories of young people who show leadership, kindness, and community spirit. Whether it’s through volunteering, supporting peers or showing bravery in the face of adversity, Roscommon/ Longford winners have also been successful winning National Awards each year and I would encourage members of the public to nominate someone whom they know in their locality.”

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Longford County Council Chief Executive Paddy Mahon agreed. “The Garda Youth Awards are a vital opportunity to shine a light on the incredible contributions young people make to our communities. These awards not only recognise their positive impact, but also inspire others to follow their lead. We are proud to support and celebrate the remarkable spirit, resilience, and generosity of our youth.”

Nomination forms may be downloaded from Garda.ie, Longfordcoco.ie or Roscommoncoco.ie or requested from Roscommon.GardaYouth Awards@garda.ie or the Longford Community Safety Team on communitysafety@ longfordcoco.ie.

In order to qualify, completed nomination typed forms and media consent forms should be emailed to Roscommon.GardaYouth Awards@Garda.ie, or posted or delivered to the Community Policing Unit at Boyle, Granard, Longford or Roscommon Garda stations before 5pm on Friday, June 20, 2025.