SIXTEEN YEARS old Michael Dwyer, a student at Gorey Community School and from Mount Alexander, between Gorey and Courtown, is celebrating an outstanding national success in the Europe Direct Soapbox competition held at Farmleigh House, Dublin.

Michael excelled in his three minute public speaking masterpiece entitled ‘Youth is wasted on the Young’.

Michael had talked his way through the regional contests to reach the grand final, representing the South and South Midland regions.

It was a tough competition, but the Gorey youth trounced the other seven finalists to gain a terrific victory.

A scribe from The Irish Times suggested that “There is a hint of Seamus Heaney about hm.”

Michael collected a cheque for €1,000. Minister of State, Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, Mr. Fergus O’Dowd, T.D., made the presentation.

Full text of Michael’s ‘Youth is wasted on the Young’ in this week’s Gorey Echo.