Nominations now open for Roscommon Longford Garda Youth Awards
Closing date 5pm Fri. June 20th
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, 20 June 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.
Local organisations 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, namely the Individual category where a young person has made a positive contribution to their community making it a better place to live
Further categories include the Group category where two or more made a positive contribution to their community making it a better place to live. A Special Achievement will recognise where a young person has overcome difficult circumstances, defied all the odds and whose commitment deserves recognition.
The final category is Community Safety award where a young person or persons, through a crime prevention or safety initiative or innovation, have made their community a safer place to live.
Pictured at the launch of the Roscommon Longford Garda Youth Awards at Longford Garda Station were L-R: Garda Duffy, Sergeant Coleman, Garda Doolan, Superintendent Miley, Fiona Ní Chuinn, Roscommon County Council Senior Executive Officer, Pat Flanagan, Roscommon LCSP Co-Ordinator and Inspector Cryan.
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, nineteen year old Cormac Petrie from Knockcroghery won a coveted Special Achievement Award. The award was presented to a nominee of outstanding achievement whose skills were universally recognised by the judging panel for his immense act of courage and fortitude.
Cormac is a member of Roscommon Civil Defence Unit and most notably used his training to save a person’s life in April 2024, whom he had noticed had got into difficulty swimming at the Hodson Bay Amenity.
Showing termendous grace under pressure, Cormac noticed the distressed swimmer floating in the water in an unresponsive state. Despite the emergency, Cormac calmly took control of this life and death situation, resuscitating the young woman.
In doing so, Cormac resassured the lady’s parents and stabilised her until the ambulance arrived. Showing maturity beyond his years, Cormac was able to keep everybody calm as he worked to resuscitate the unresponsive person in full view of the many panic striken bystanders.
As well as being a Civil Defence volunteer, Cormac provides medical back up and assistance at GAA sporting events. He has similiarly volunteered his services at fun runs, concerts and notably has volunteered his services at a boxing competition between the Irish and Ukrainian National Boxing teams prior to last summer’s Olympic Games.
In receiving the award nomination, the judging panel claimed Cormac went about all of his voluntary work with dedication, charm and an easy-going nature that is admired by all who have the pleasure in coming into contact with him.
Speaking in advance of the deadline for award nominations for this year, Roscommon-Longford Garda Youth Awards Chairperson Inspector David Cryan said the awards celebrate 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."
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.”
Roscommon County Council Chief Executive Shane Tiernan also welcomed the awards which he said honoured the many unsung heroes in our communities who do selfless work on behalf of others.
“The Garda Youth Awards recognise all that is best in human nature – showcasing values such as valour, compassion, support, dignity and caring among young people who are an example to us all. It is fitting these awards are supported by An Garda Siochána and the local authorities both in Roscommon and Longford.
“Through their work on a daily basis, Gardaí enrich the lives of so many communities through their involvement in education, sport and culture in many different ways, working through the trust of the communities they serve.
“Our young people in Roscommon and Longford live their lives by being true to the values of fairness, excellence and service, not only to themselves and their friends, but also to their families and their communities at large.
Pictured at the launch of the Roscommon Longford Garda Youth Awards at Longford Garda Station were L-R: Sgt Rowan, Janine Bartley Longford LCSP Co- Ordinator, Inspector McGlynn, Chief Executive of Longford County Council, Paddy Mahon, Superintendent Miley, Garda Satchwell, Garda Scanlon, Garda Shiel and Courtney Corcoran Longford LCSP Administrator.
Nomination forms may be downloaded from Garda.ie, Longfordcoco.ie or Roscommoncoco.ie or requested from Roscommon.GardaYouthAwards@garda.ie.
20250429-CORPORATE-Garda-National-Youth-Awards-Nomination-Form-2025---Logos-(002).doc (size 958.5 KB)
In order to qualify, completed nomination typed forms and media consent forms should be emailed to Roscommon.GardaYouthAwards@Garda.ie, or posted or delivered to the Community Policing Unit at Boyle, Granard, Longford or Roscommon Garda stations before 5pm on Monday, 20 June 2025.
20250429-CORPORATE-Media-consent-form.docx (size 119.1 KB)
