News

Gaisce Welcomes Ayomide Ayeni to the Gaisce Team!

By |June 29th, 2026|Categories: Blog, Gaisce News, News|

Gaisce – The President's Award is delighted to welcome Ayomide Ayeni to our Business Support team.   Ayomide Ayeni - Business Support Administrator  Ayomide is an interdisciplinary researcher with a rich background spanning academic research, infrastructure consultancy, governance, and community-focused initiatives across Ireland, the UK, and Nigeria.  Ayomide holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Obafemi Awolowo University, and went on to complete an LLM in International Human Rights Law from the University of Galway. Her academic and professional journey has deeply strengthened her expertise in regulatory systems, compliance frameworks, and evidence-based decision-making.   Ayomide is from Ekiti State, Nigeria, and is passionate

We’re Hiring: National Development Manager

By |June 25th, 2026|Categories: Blog, Gaisce News, News|

An exciting opportunity now exists at Gaisce – The President’s Award, Ireland’s National Youth Award, for the position of National Development Manager!  Job Overview  Role Type: Permanent, full-time (subject to successful completion of six-month probation)  Starting Salary: €46,000 per annum  Location: Gaisce HQ, Ratra House, Phoenix Park, Dublin 8  Working Pattern: Hybrid  Annual Leave: 25 days annual leave (increases after year one (26) and year three (27) pro rata.  Main Duties and Responsibilities  The National Development Manager will:   Oversee the day to day running of the Regional Development team, including administration and line management of the team along with practical support, supervision, and performance review duties for the Regional Development Team.   Support the creation of a

PAL Profile: Kate Drinane, National Gallery of Ireland (NGI)

By |June 15th, 2026|Categories: Blog, Gaisce News, News|

This month, we had the pleasure of visiting some of our Gaisce Gold Participants as they completed their residential project at the National Gallery of Ireland (NGI)! Amid the chaos, colours, and new connections, we caught up with one of our fantastic PALs, Kate Drinane, to talk about all things Gaisce, what it’s like being a PAL, and life at NGI. Kate has an impressive career in NGI spanning across 14 years. At present, they are the Tours, Talks, Training & Interpretation Officer for the gallery. Accessibility and people-focused initiatives, alongside love and care for the gallery,

Míle Buíochas to Business Support!

By |June 8th, 2026|Categories: Blog, Gaisce News, News|

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!

By |June 3rd, 2026|Categories: Blog, Gaisce News, News|

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!

By |May 29th, 2026|Categories: Blog, Gaisce News, News|

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

By |May 22nd, 2026|Categories: Blog, Gaisce News, News|

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!

By |May 14th, 2026|Categories: Blog, News|

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!

By |May 11th, 2026|Categories: Blog, News|

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!

By |May 11th, 2026|Categories: Blog, News|

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

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