Saibh takes the title

Temperatures were soaring once again last week, when we welcomed the Irish delegation to Western House Hotel in Ayr for the Summer Young Ireland Programme. Although the sun was blazing, delegates maintained a commendable level of enthusiasm for the many challenges presented to them!

Thirty-one delegates from a range of public sector organisations gathered to share their views on a multitude of issues. We heard papers on careers and the workplace, community, sport, health and several other areas.

The title, Ireland Young Thinker of the Year 2026, went to Saibh Aris from the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration. Her winning paper called for us all to embrace the many lessons we can learn through nature. The adjudicator commented: ‘In the troubling times that we are living in, rewilding Irish land could offer hope for the years ahead. The writing was evocative, lyrical and full of passion. Saibh demonstrated superior knowledge and understanding of the subject in hand – using excellent examples to illustrate her main points. She was an expressive presenter, with steady delivery, excellent eye contact and she made good use of pause and variety of tone’.

The runner-up award went to Michael Reilly of Longford County Council for an original paper on how to provide marginalised communities with the means to take up physical activity. He stressed that if we want communities to feel like a priority, we must stop guessing what they need. We must step back and identify the real problem and then the community must design the solutions. Michael was a confident and assured presenter, with excellent use of emphasis and superb projection.

A highly commended award went to Eoin Dillon of Dublin City Council for an educational paper on urban resilience. He suggested that if the floods experienced in Dublin last year are to repeat, we’re going to have to work with nature. Eoin avoided jargon and explained technical elements well, making the subject accessible to all. He had an engaging presence at the lectern, maintaining steady delivery and good projection throughout.

The winning group in the Group Challenge was Group F (Ciarán Cafferkey, Sport Ireland; Emma Doherty, Department of Transport; Cian Martin, Central Statistics Office; Oonagh O Brien, Dublin City Council; Demi Tsigkraki, Department of Finance) for a lively presentation on the concept of ‘identity’. The group used humorous role play to highlight many elements of identity and demonstrated excellent team work.

A special award for Best 90-Second Challenge went to Sreehari Sivasankaran of Pobal. When asking ‘Why are people so crazy about running?’, he gave a fluent and enthusiastic presentation which ended perfectly on the double bell.

Thank you from the organising team to all delegates for being part of such a friendly and supportive group.

Our next Young Ireland Programme takes place from 13-16 October 2026. Booking is open: to secure a place/s now, please see upcoming events.