More than 100 young people who have made positive contributions to their communities have been honoured at a special ceremony in Co Laois.
The Garda National Youth Awards were established in 2019 to honour and recognise young people and groups who have gone above and beyond in making a difference.
Among those honoured was Paddy Boyle, a 15-year-old resident of Tory Island, who saved the life of a man whose fishing boat capsized.
While heading out to feed sheep, Paddy heard shouting from the cliffs.
He phoned his father to launch the Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) and knowing that the Belfast Coastguard had been alerted, Paddy ran toward the sound, where he saw the fisherman clinging to the rocks.
Risking his own safety, Paddy descended the steep, grassy cliff, pulled the fisherman halfway up and remained with him until two crew members arrived from a boat to assist.
Receiving his award, the crowd heard that "this extraordinary act has boosted community morale and reminded everyone that age is no barrier to making a difference".
Two teenagers from Co Cork also received a Special Recognition Award for their intervention in a difficult situation in September last year.
Naoise Quinn and Ailíse O'Sullivan were walking on the beach when they saw a distressed man standing at a cliff edge.
Acting on instinct, Naoise and Ailíse intervened, kept the man safe and calm until gardaí arrived. They were honoured for their quick-thinking and compassion.
In the Group Award category, five students from St Michael's College in Listowel in Co Kerry were honoured for their role in rescuing an elderly woman during a dangerous flooding emergency.
Tomás, Gearóid and Micheál O’Sullivan, Marcus Leahy and Cillian O’Sullivan transported the woman to safety and worked tirelessly in harsh conditions to deliver sandbags, and to support other residents.
Bakhtyar Nabi who lives in Clonakilty, Co Cork, received a Special Achievement Award.
He and his brother left Afghanistan and spent nine months travelling to Ireland. After their arrival, the brothers stayed in Dublin, and then Maynooth, before settling in an IPAS centre in Clonakilty.
Since moving to Clonakilty, Bakhtyar joined a cricket team in Cork city and has been picked to play for the Munster team. He was this year named 'Player of the Year’ on his Munster Reds cricket team.
Bakhtyar is now studying for his Leaving Certificate.
In the IPAS centre, Bakhtyar helps other residents with childminding and cooking. He received the award, the crowd heard, because of determination "to better himself and help those around him".
Students from Coláiste Mhuire in Mullingar were honoured in the Community Safety Award category for a road safety campaign focused on young male drivers.
They designed, scripted and produced a hard-hitting video, that received over two million views.
Students from Dungarvan CBS were also honoured in the category, for raising awareness of the issue of drink driving.
They collaborated with the local Garda Juvenile Liaison Officer to develop a car-crash-simulation event.
The simulation featured a staged crash with real-time emergency responses and interactive tools like beer goggles and virtual-reality headsets to enhance the learning experience.
The Talk About Youth Project based on Dublin's Pearse Street also received recognition for their ‘Heart of Us’ project, aimed at tackling racism.
In total, 146 young people participated in the project, all writing or designing a page for The ‘Heart of Us’ book, designed to show the world that no matter who you are, or where you come from, all young people share the same interests, values, and struggles.
Jack Sweeney, a Galway United and Ireland underage footballer was honoured in the Individual Award category for the pride he was brought to his community through his achievements in football.
As a proud member of the Traveller community, Jack has used his platform to break down stereotypes and challenge misconceptions.
Beyond his sporting achievements, Jack wants to inspire others. He always makes time to support and mentor others, never seeking recognition, only aiming to give back and uplift those around him.
Another winner was Cormac Downey from Co Limerick who won a Special Achievement Award. He has been playing wheelchair hurling since he was 10 years old.
As captain, Cormac led the junior players to victory in the wheelchair hurling Fitzgerald Cup, inspiring younger teammates with his resilience and leadership. Cormac has also recently made his rugby debut for Ireland in preparation for the 2026 Wheelchair Rugby League Cup.
He has won three All-Ireland Medals for hurling and an individual achievement award this year for Munster Wheelchair Hurling.
The first Divisional Garda Youth Awards took place in 1995.
Garda James O’Mahony, a Bandon-based Juvenile Liaison Officer, believed it would be fitting to award the excellence of young volunteers in the local area.
In 2019, the National Garda Youth Awards were established by the then assistant commissioner, Ann Marie McMahon, in recognition of the meaningful work of so many young people in communities all across Ireland.
Speaking at the ceremony, Assistant Commissioner for Roads Policing and Community Engagement Catharina Gunn said: "An Garda Síochána is delighted to be able to publicly recognise their hard work, commitment and enthusiasm.
"Our communities are seeing the benefit of the contribution they are making. Each winner here today represents the very best of what young people in our communities can achieve. They are all inspirational."
