Ryan's winning vision of Ireland of the future

e year is 2042. It’s 7am, the previously loud hustle and bustle of early mornings has subsided. Stepping outside rst thing in the morning and feeling clean, the air is clean, the trees are green but it’s quiet. It’s more than quiet it’s silent……

And so begins Ryan Hickey’s submission to Bord na Móna’s Scholarship Pathway programme on how Ireland could adapt to the circular economy in 20 years’ time. A third year student of the BSc (Hons) in Digital Marketing with Analytics at South East Technological University’s Kilkenny Road Campus, Carlow, Ryan was awarded a Bord na Móna scholarship for his submission on what Ireland will look like in the future, if appropriate supports for sustainability are put in place.

Describing his excitement at winning a scholarship from Pathways to the Future, Ryan from Newbridge in Kildare said: “It was an ab-

Members of Keep Her Lit festival in Inistioge have been angered by the discovery that trees they had planted had been vandalised

The say they have been left "disappointed" by the discovery. One Inistoge resident said she was "shocked solute privilege to be o ered this scholarship. Scholarships like this prompt students to take a moment to really think about the topic, to put their mind to creating a better tomorrow. I wrote about an Ireland that I see as achievable, the Ireland I would want my kids to be raised in. A future of small changes that make a massive impact. Many hands make light work however many minds make the di erence.”

Bord na Móna’s Scholarship Pathway is one of three pathways in its ‘Pathways to the Future’ programme offering students the opportunity to work on the front line of climate action and sustainable economic development. e Scholarship Pathway has 10 places for students in third level education across Ireland, giving a support fund that provides nancial support for those accessing education. e scholarship also includes a work placement opportuni- ty, site visits to Bord na Móna projects and a Bord na Móna assigned mentor.

Sharon Doyle, Head of Human Resources and Corporate A airs at Bord na Móna said, “Bord na Móna is delighted to be able to o er support to students interested in looking at new ways to tackle climate change. We will now be supporting our 10 successful applicants during their studies and will aim to enable them to proactively tackle the key issues linked to climate change, and to learn a wide range of skills alongside the very best experts our industry has to o er.”

Dr Denise Earle, Programme Director for BSc (Hons) in Digital Marketing with Analytics, SETU was very enthusiastic about Ryan’s achievement: “Scholarships such as these present fantastic opportunities for third-level students. Not only do these scholarships help to alleviate the nan- cial burden so many students face, they also o er the opportunity for students to engage with peers and professionals, which allows them to build important connections for their careers. It is also wonderful to see students have their hard work and talents recognised and in high pro le with companies like Bord na Mona"

* Pictured above, Back Row: John MacNamara (Head of Regulatory A airs, Bord na Móna), Shane Ryan (Recipient), Orla Cox (Recipient), Tom Donnellan (CEO/Managing Director, Bord na Móna), Sharon Doyle (Head of Human Resources and Corporate A airs, Bord na Móna), Alan Slattery (Recipient), Diamuid Egan (Recipient)

Front Row: Ryan Hickey (Recipient), MD Shamsuzzaman (Recipient), Jane Lowry (Recipient), Joseph Keogh (Recipient) by a vandalism attack" in the Kilkenny village.

Jadzia Kaminska is one of the organisers of the Keep Her Lit festival which started in the Kilkenny village last year in memory of two local men, Dave Donohoe and Johnny O’Donnell, who had con - tributed so much to their community.

The group fundraised to plant the trees but found that someone had destroyed their efforts the night after they were planted.

Jadzia Kaminska told KCLR's Sue Nunn that they were hoping the vandals would not appear again after they have re-planted the trees. Despite the disappointment, they were planning to do another batch of tree planting after this year’s folk and traditional music event which runs from August 18 to 20.