Limerick young people honoured at National Garda Youth Awards

TWO young people from Limerick were honoured at this year’s National Garda Youth Awards for their contributions to their communities

An Garda Síochána held its annual awards ceremony on Saturday, November 16, recognising exceptional young people aged 13-21 who have positively contributed to their community.

Liam Costelloe and Aisling Sexton represented Limerick, receiving the Special Achievement Award and Individual Award, respectively.

One week before Liam Costelloe was due to begin secondary school, his life changed forever when his doctor told him that a brain tumour had been found pressing onto his optic nerve. 

Just days later, Liam was undergoing emergency surgery to remove the tumour.

Following his operation, Liam and his family were relieved thinking that the worst was behind them, when he began to suffer from debilitating headaches and he had a seizure. 

He was diagnosed with meningitis, and later that evening he developed swelling in his brain and paralysis to his left side, resulting in an emergency surgery.

He was admitted to Intensive Care where he spent four days on life support, and required two further operations that week to stabilise his condition. 

Making it through these three invasive surgeries was just half the battle. Once he was in the clear, Liam began rehabilitation where he slowly learned how to walk again.

Despite these hardships, he was determined to return to school after his October midterm break, and see his friends again in person.

Liam has now returned to full-time attendance at Coláiste Chiarán in Croom, and has re-joined his school’s hurling team.

“Liam’s perseverance has proven that recovery is not just a physical process, but a mental one too and to watch his continued progress is motivation for us all,” a spokesperson for An Garda Síochána said.

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When Aisling Sexton’s mother Mary developed a serious lung condition and her health deteriorated, she devoted herself to providing the care her mother needed.

Aisling, from Derraulin in Bruree, “stepped up” and was there throughout the many months that Mary recovered in ICU and learned to walk and talk again.

Her hard work didn’t just stop at providing care and unconditional support - she knew that without proper funding, the increasing medical expenses would be impossible for her family to cover.

Aisling began a grassroots campaign to fundraise the money needed to cover essential bills and adapt the family home to aid her mother’s health.

She raised over €30,000 through walks and tractor runs, while studying for her Leaving Certificate.

Today’s award is not the first for Aisling, having been the recipient of the Limerick Family Carer of the Year in 2023 - but nothing speaks more to her character than the love and care she continues to show to all those close to her.

This year’s event took place at the Midlands Park Hotel, Portlaoise and acknowledged the remarkable contributions made in a number of Garda Divisions which included Limerick, Clare/Tipperary, Cork, Dublin, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny/Carlow, Mayo/Roscommon/Longford, Laois/Offaly, Westmeath and Wexford.

The Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris presented each of the 24 awards.

Speaking at the ceremony, Assistant Commissioner for Road Safety and Community Engagement, Paula Hilman said, "Our Garda National Youth Awards are about recognising the incredible work done by young people in communities all over Ireland for the sake of others.

"They often don’t get enough credit for the variety of challenges they face in today’s society and particularly for how they responded to the difficulties they encounter, but they support one another and help their communities with great enthusiasm.

"Each one of this year’s recipients demonstrate all that is wonderful about our young people, and as Gardaí we are so proud of their hard work. We hope the Garda National Youth Awards are a fitting acknowledgement of the positive and meaningful contribution that these young people are making to society.”