'You have set an example for young people' - Civic Reception for Tipperary students

The Cathaoirleach of Tipperary/Cahir/Cashel Municipal District, Cllr Micheál Anglim began his address to Monday’s Civic Reception for the BT Young Scientist Winners with a quote from the great American philosopher, John Dewey: “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself”.

The Cathaoirleach went on to say that this quote was quite fitting for their honoured guests as they had used their life experience attending school to develop a powerful and important project.

“Their project work conducted over 24 months has highlighted secondary school as an important social outlet for students and they also identified how Covid-19 impacted on the students and how physical and mental health are important areas to discuss when looking at the life of students.

“With over 2,000 responses in how they perceived school had impacted on their social, physical and mental wellbeing, Shane and Liam were able to make recommendations which could change the future of classrooms and schools. It was a huge achievement to win this most coveted award with 550 projects and over 1,100 students participating this year.

“Liam and Shane have both done county Tipperary, the Abbey School and their families proud.

“They will also represent Ireland at the European Union contest for young scientists in Brussels in September and we wish them the very best of luck in that international event,” said Cathaoirleach Anglim who proposed the motion to accord the Civic Reception to Shane and Liam.

In seconding the proposal, Cllr Michael Fitzgerald said that when he proposed back in January that the Council accord a Civic Reception to Shane and Liam it was approved unanimously by all the councillors.

“It was really, really special for us as representatives to be able to do that for these two young men, two shining bright lights for the future.

“A special word of welcome for the BT Young Scientist trophy that we see here today as it was never in Tipperary Town before and it is really special that it has come to the Abbey School and to the town. We have had many civic occasions over the years and we have honoured many people who have distinguished themselves in varied and different disciplines. From sport to community, from the arts to leadership roles in agriculture, business and at times politics.

“This is the highest honour that we as a council can bestow on any person or group of people to honour achievements of success and victory, and bringing notable recognition to our area and in particular on this occasion to Tipperary Town and to the Abbey School.

“It shows the character and the commitment of these two young men who believed in what they were putting forward to the judges of the competition for a second year having been unsuccessful at the first attempt.

“All I can say to you now is that you have set an example for young people for the future that anything is possible,” said Cllr Fitzgerald. The county Cathaoirleach, Cllr Roger Kennedy also paid tribute to Shane and Liam saying that it showed the work that had been put in over a long number of years.

“The only place that success comes before work is in the dictionary so you both got it right with your work ethic. The wellbeing of students is something that must be studied a lot more but it's more urgent at this time in particular as we as parents and grandparents send our children out to school and we hope that they come home well and physically we know whether they are or not.

“However mentally and how they are coping with life, how they are coping with studies, how they are coping with themselves as people is so important.

“This study will be a thesis for people in the future and I hope that we are there to see this through,” said the Cathaoirleach.

The County CEO, Joe MacGrath, also addressed the reception and he highlighted one particular statement from the boys in their presentation: “One simple action resulted in a positive outcome”.

“One simple action can totally change the lives of young people and there are very important messages that come out of this that won’t be lost in terms of what you have done and how you have presented them.

“There is another important message in that hard work rewards and that is very evident from the work that you put into this project,” said Mr MacGrath. Others to speak at the reception were Cllr Declan Burgess, Cllr John Crosse, Cllr Mary Hanna Hourigan, Cllr Annemarie Ryan, Cllr Máirín McGrath and Deputy Mattie McGrath.

Written by Martin Quinn