Cratloe youth takes charge of change

A YOUNG Cratloe man was part of a group that recently presented a blueprint for a “new Ireland” to President Michael D Higgins.

Tony Gleeson, who represented Limerick Youth Service (LYS), was part of a 100-strong group who were invited to Áras an Uachtaráin for an audience with President Higgins.

The gathering was the conclusion of the President’s first “Being Young and Irish” consultation process, in which the President challenged young people to give their vision of a “new Ireland”.

A native of Cratloe, Tony is a trainee at LYS’ Glenworth Street headquarters and a member of LYS’ YELL (Youth Empowerment Look at Limerick) Group.

Explaining how he got involved in the programme, Tony said he went to one of the Being Young and Irish consultation workshops in Cork.

“At that first meeting, we were asked to give our vision for Ireland and then we worked on what we can do to achieve this aim,” he said.

These suggestions were passed on to President Higgins and 100 young people were invited to the Phoenix Park.

Reflecting on his day in the Áras, Tony said they spent the day working in groups before presenting their “take charge of change” declaration to President Higgins.

“We drew up a vision document for what we feel Ireland should be,” explained Tony.

He stated their vision is for an Ireland that is a secular, multilingual, confident state with excellent and universally accessible education, health and social supports systems.

Tony stressed the group committed to working to create this new Ireland by working with organisations at local and national level, political parties, youth groups, charities or advocacy groups.

When asked about his meeting with President Higgins, Tony said he found him a “very honest and genuine person with a great interest in their views”.

“I also invited him to visit Limerick Youth Service and to meet our YELL Group,” Tony recalled and he said on his next visit to Limerick he would do just that.