Míle Buíochas to Business Support!
May has been the month of success, achievement, and completion for Gaisce participants and staff alike! It has been a particularly busy month for our Business Support Team. They have been hard at work here in Gaisce HQ, processing and dispatching to Gaisce participants across the country during this record completion period, ensuring recipients received their Awards in time for their Award ceremonies. Gaisce’s Business Support Team is led by Louise Place and includes Alex Davis, Deirdre Phelan, and the newest team member, Ayomide Ayeni. Their dedication and commitment help ensure that young people across Ireland are
Gaisce Welcomes Sophie Bell and Nicole Kelly to the Gaisce Comms Team!
Gaisce – The President’s Award is delighted to welcome Sophie Bell (Content Creator) and Nicole Kelly (Communications Coordinator) to our growing Gaisce team. Sophie Bell – Content Creator Prior to joining Gaisce, Sophie worked as a civil servant / QC medicine analyst, and in media. When she is not working on exciting projects in Gaisce, Sophie can be found working on her family farm in Cavan and sharing her journey across her ever-growing social media channels. Sophie graduated in 2021 with a BSc Hons in Agriculture with Animal Science from Harper Adams University, Shropshire.
Maith Thú Round Up!
What a month it’s been, celebrating Maith Thú and all your hard work throughout your Gaisce journey alongside the skills, successes and impact you have made along the way. We’ve had some fantastic Gaisce participants involved in Maith Thú this year. From powerhouse students such as Jack Coffey to advocate and activist, Latisha McRudden, it’s been a pleasure to hear the impact Gaisce has had on young people at every stage of their journey. Check out some highlights from our Maith Thú celebrations: Latisha McCrudden Latisha is a 21-year-old law student at the University of Galway, with a fantastic journey behind her. After overcoming a tumour as a
Traveller Pride Week Spotlight: Latisha McCrudden
In celebration of Traveller Pride Week, we had the pleasure of speaking to Gaisce Awardee and member of the Traveller community Latisha McCrudden about her achievements, work and passions. Latisha is a 21-year-old law student at the University of Galway, with a fantastic journey behind her. After overcoming a tumour as a child and battling mental health struggles, Latisha has been a passionate advocate for mental health, domestic abuse, minority and female rights, believing in equality for all. When asked about her achievements, Latisha’s work across organisations such as the Irish Traveller Movement Youth Forum, Minceirs Whiden Youth Forum, National Women’s Council of Ireland, National
A special message to Gaisce participants from President of Ireland, Catherine Connolly!
In celebration of everyone who is working towards or has completed their Gaisce Award, President Catherine Connolly has shared a special message to recognise and congratulate your achievement. Completing a Gaisce Award, whether at Bronze, Silver or Gold, is a remarkable accomplishment, and we hope all our Awardees are taking the time to celebrate this milestone and reflect on everything that you have achieved. Maith Thú!
Gaisce Welcomes Oberstown to Ratra House for Gaisce Award Ceremony!
On May 7th, we had the pleasure of welcoming residents of Oberstown Children Detention Campus to Ratra House for their first-ever Gaisce ceremony outside of the Oberstown campus. Across participants, Gaisce was delighted to present Bronze and Silver Awards to young people from Oberstown, with support from members of our Gaisce team, Vincent Teo, representing the Gaisce Council, and management and support workers from Oberstown. It was a wonderful and joyous occasion, with Damien Hernon, Director of Oberstown, congratulating Award recipients for their dedication, resilience, and hard work throughout their Gaisce journey, and speaking of the strong relationship between Gaisce and Oberstown: “The journey of the Awardees today is creating a legacy mindset which will pave the way
Gaisce Summer 2026 PAL E-Zine is here!
We’re delighted to share that Gaisce’s Summer PAL E-Zine is now live! . In this edition of the Gaisce PAL E-Zine, we’ll be saying Maith Thú to participants, whether they’ve reached the finish line or are still taking on their Gaisce journey. . We’ll let you know how we celebrated the launch of the new Gaisce Strategic Plan, share some of the exciting events we held such as our Youth Justice Award Ceremony at the Department of Justice, and hear from our Youth Ambassadors as they continue on their journey of personal development and strengthened their confidence, skills and
Gaisce Spring 2026 PAL & Participant’s E-Zines are here!
We’re delighted to share that Gaisce’s Spring Participant and PAL Ezines are now live! As 2026 gets underway, both editions are packed with fresh updates, inspiring stories, and essential information to support every step of the Gaisce journey, whether you’re a Participant setting new goals for the year ahead or a PAL guiding and empowering young people in your community. The Spring Participant Ezine encourages readers to refocus and reconnect with their Award journey, offering challenge area ideas, upcoming events, and opportunities like the Gold Portfolio supports and the new Silver Adventure Journey experience. Meanwhile, this season’s PAL Ezine
Roots and Shoots: Gaisce Gold Residential – Weekend 2
The second and final weekend of the Roots and Shoots: Gaisce Gold Residential in partnership with Student Volunteer Ireland and supported by Irish Aid took place in Connemara, Galway, from 16th to 18th January 2026. We welcomed back 16 fantastic young people to participate in workshops and hear from some incredible guest speakers, all focused on sustainable development goals (SDGs). One standout moment of the weekend was the participants’ project presentations, where they mapped the Sustainable Development Goals within their own communities. This exercise highlighted the wide range of organisations, initiatives and spaces already working towards positive social, environmental and economic change across Ireland. Advocacy and global citizenship were central themes of the weekend. emphasised in an
President Catherine Connolly Celebrates Remarkable Achievements of Ireland’s Young People at Gaisce Gold Award Ceremony
President Catherine Connolly will today present 50 young people with the Gaisce Gold Award at a ceremony in Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA Venues), Royal Hospital Kilmainham. This year’s celebration is especially significant, marking both the 40th anniversary of Gaisce and President Connolly’s first time hosting the prestigious Gaisce Gold Award ceremony. The Gaisce Gold Award ceremony celebrates the remarkable personal development and community impact demonstrated by these young people, who have completed the highest level of the President’s Award. Today’s Awardees join a four-decade legacy of participants who have shaped and strengthened communities across Ireland through
