News
St Brendan’s win national for disability inclusion project
A team from St. Brendan's College, Killarney won a Young Social Innovators advocacy award for their ‘SEM for Inclusion’ project, which aims to raise awareness of and reduce exclusion faced by people with a disability.
High-impact social innovation projects by teams of young people from all over Ireland were among the winners at the Young Social Innovators of the Year Awards, which took place on Croke Park earlier this month.
The YSI awards celebrate excellence in youth-led social innovation.
Now in their 22nd year, this year’s national finals event was the first live, in-person Young Social Innovators of the Year Awards since 2019.
The awards ceremony was co-presented by broadcaster Zara King and former Hometown boyband member Dayl Cronin, in front of an audience of around 600 young people from secondary schools the length and breadth of the country.
“More than 5,000 young people from all over Ireland got involved in social innovation projects with Young Social Innovators in 2023,” said Roger Warnock, CEO OF Young Social Innovators.
“It was fantastic to be able to gather together in-person to celebrate at this year’s awards’ finals and I would like to congratulate the winning teams, including those from Kerry. I was blown away by these young people’s ideas, bravery and creativity. Their projects are proof that change is possible and that young people have the power to make a difference.”
Gneeveguilla apprentice wins national stonemasonry title
Darragh O’Sullivan from Gneeveguilla won the overall prize in the Architectural Stonemasonry category at the WorldSkills Ireland competition held recently at the RDS in Dublin.
An apprentice stonecutter and stonemason with the Office of Public Works (OPW) based in Mallow, O’Sullivan secured gold for his technical accuracy and craftsmanship during the three-day event.
The state agency relies on traditional trade skills to manage, conserve, and restore national monuments, public buildings, and heritage sites across the country.
O’Sullivan’s success reflects the training provided by his OPW mentors and team, highlighting the importance of apprentice development in preserving traditional heritage crafts for future generations.
Picture Caption: CRAFT CHAMPION: Tom Little (Kerry ETB), Terri Sweeney Meade (OPW), category winner Darragh O’Sullivan (OPW), and Donal Keys (WorldSkills Ireland) at the RDS in Dublin.
Jessica Cronin donates hair for children’s charity
Ten-year-old Killarney resident Jessica Cronin is set to cut and donate 12 inches of her hair to support young cancer patients, alongside a fundraising campaign for LauraLynn Children’s Hospice.
The hair donation will go directly to the Little Princess Trust, a charity providing real hair wigs free of charge to children and young people who have lost their own hair through medical treatment.
Alongside her hair donation, Jessica is collecting financial contributions for LauraLynn through the Locks of Love campaign.
“I want to help somebody that doesn’t have something that I have, hair,” Jessica said.
Her family expressed their pride in her decision to support both organisations.
“We are all so proud of her,” her mother, Grace O’Shea-Cronin, said. “Any donation, no matter how small, would be greatly appreciated.”
Donations to support Jessica’s fundraiser can be made online at
Gneeveguilla apprentice wins national stonemasonry title
Gneeveguilla apprentice wins national stonemasonry title Darragh O’Sullivan from Gneeveguilla won the overall prize in the Architectural Stonemasonry category at...
Jessica Cronin donates hair for children’s charity
Jessica Cronin donates hair for children’s charity Ten-year-old Killarney resident Jessica Cronin is set to cut and donate 12 inches...
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