A NUMBER of young people from Limerick were among the 50 exceptional young Irish trainees who took part in an intensive week-long voyage as crew members of three different sailing yachts.
This week, participants received their certificates of completion from Minister of State for Sport Jack Chambers at a special awards ceremony in Dublin’s Docklands today.
The fifty youngsters from thirteen counties had just completed a week-long intensive training with Sail Training Ireland off the coasts of Ireland and the United Kingdom, aboard three participating vessels – ‘The Brian Ború’, ‘Ilen’ and the tall ship ‘Pelican of London’.
The trainees formed a special guard of honor as part of the 2022 ‘Asgard Armada’ – which saw a special lifting of the East Link Bridge this morning to allow the three returning boats to sail in formation through the docks of Dublin, marking the conclusion of their training. and just in time for the special awards event at the Mayson Hotel on North Wall Quay on Wednesday.
Participants have been nominated to participate by various youth organizations across the country such as Foróige Youth Diversion, Sailability Northern Ireland, Túsla – the Child and Family Agency, Family Resource centres, School Completion Programmes, Cork Life Centre, Manor St. John Youth Service, Waterford and South Tipperary Youth Service and Scouting Ireland.
The 13 counties represented are Antrim, Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Laois, Limerick, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Waterford, Wexford and Wicklow.
Minister of State for Sport, Gaeltacht and Chief Defense and Government Whip Jack Chambers TD congratulated the 50 participants. “This initiative by Sail Training Ireland on all islands is to be welcomed. It is crucial that all sports are inclusive and provide opportunities, regardless of their background.”
Daragh Sheridan, CEO of Sail Training Ireland, said: “We are delighted to honor the achievements of the 50 incredible young people who make up the Asgard Armada 2022. It is always a special moment for each trainee, many of whom return from a even quite short but intensive experience at sea with a different outlook on life, a greater sense of purpose and a new perspective on their own abilities. Sail Training Ireland provides an empowering personal development experience that can truly have a huge impact on participants. Our participants come from a variety of backgrounds and many would usually never have such an opportunity without the help of a local community organization. We could not do this without the continued support of our donors and the Ministry of Defence. »
