Rugby legend gives words of wisdom at youth conference
Nine young people from Sligo - Dylan Boland, Rebecca Battle, Annie Forde, Eimear Kearins, Jennifer Cuffe, Amyu Lavin, Joshua Battle, Diarmuid Brennan, & Adam Walsh - joined 250 other teenagers from India, the USA and Ireland in Kildare this week for Foróige’s Leadership for Life Youth Conference.
The conference took place last week from 30 th July – 3rd Aug, on the grounds of NUI Maynooth. It brought together teenagers to empower them to become leaders in their own lives.
Paul O’Connell gave a talk to the young people as part of the Aldi guest lecture series, where he highlighted the importance of staying positive.
Paul said: “God given talent is a myth, successful people work harder and smarter and that’s how they achieve their goals. It’s really important to keep positive. Don’t let anyone say you can’t do something. You have the capacity to work, train and do anything you put your mind to. It doesn’t matter what it is, stay the course and be the person you want to be.”
Seán Campbell, CEO of Foróige said: “These young people have come to this conference because someone in their lives saw their potential to lead, grow, develop and in- fluence, whether that was a parent, Foróige youth worker, or teacher.
“Amongst other things, these teens will learn about resilience and perseverance and further develop their ability to believe in themselves.”