School Debate Opens Alcohol in Castleisland Conversation

The Castleisland Community College debating team which will face St. Patrick’s Sesondary School at the Ivy Leaf Art Centre in the morning from 10am. Included are: Chelsey Lane, Castleisland (left) with: Michael Moynihan, Farranfore; Konrad Kloskowski, Castleisland; Micheál O’Shea, Ballymacelligott; Gráinne Spillane, Scartaglin and Ellie Lenihan, Ballymacelligott. ©Photograph: John Reidy

The St. Patrick’s College Debating Society, Castleisland which advanced to the next round of the HSE organised debate on the dangers of alcohol. Included are, from left: Conor McAuliffe, Justin McCarthy, Jonathan Kerins, Adam Kelly, Peter Burke and Darragh Buckley. ©Photograph: John Reidy

The Ivy Leaf Arts Centre, Castleisland will play host to a debate between transition year students from two local second level schools on this Wednesday morning, December 4^th from 10am to 12:30pm.

Student teams from St. Patrick’s Boys Secondary School and Castleisland Community College will debate the motion ‘Alcohol Causes More Harm Than Illegal Drugs in Irish Society.’

Alcohol Related Harm

This is the final of the debating competition organised by Castleisland Interagency Youth Forum as part of its strategy to combat alcohol related harm in the town.

The event will run from 10am to 12:30pm and will be chaired by Hilary Scanlan, HSE community worker manager.

Castleisland Interagency Youth Forum includes representatives from: Kerry Diocesan Youth Service; North East West Kerry Development; Castleisland Family Resource Centre; An Garda Siochana; Jigsaw Kerry; Kerry Travellers Health and Community Development Project and the HSE.

Concerns Raised Locally

The forum was established in 2010 by the Castleisland/Farranfore Primary Care Team as a response to concerns raised by the local community around the increasing levels of drug and alcohol use by young people in the area.

The agencies work in collaboration with the local community in developing action plans aimed at reducing alcohol and drug related related harms.

Notable among the initiatives have been research, the production and dissemination of information resources, newsletters, information talks and the PAUSE for a moment and REFLECT wallet card.

Pres Castleisland Also Involved

Also involved in the competition were the transition years from Presentation Secondary School, Castleisland who put on a fantastic display of skills at the semi-final stage while opposing the motion that teen drinking is a serious problem in Ireland.

“We are thrilled with the enthusiasm that all of the schools have shown in engaging with this initiative and in particular with the high level of skills on all of the teams.

Because the endeavour has been such a success in 2019, we intend to roll it out again in 2020 ” said Dolores McElligott, chairperson of the Interagency Forum.