Teen hero receives award

A 16-YEAR- OLD schoolgirl who saved a man’s life earlier this year was among the winners of a ‘Cathaoirleachs Award’ last week.

Cathaoirleach Cllr Barry Saul paid tribute to what he called “the unfailing dedication of the groups to community development across the county”.

At the annual Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council’s Cathaoirleachs Awards ceremony, which took place in County Hall, Dún Laoghaire, last week, Cllr Saul made a number of awards to credit unions, Mount Merrion Parish, St Benildus School, the Alzheimer Society and Stillorgan College of Further Education. His final award was to Victoria Williams-Gaine in recognition of Outstanding Bravery.

Ms Williams-Gaine, at only 16 years of age, performed CPR on a refuse lorry driver earlier this year and saved his life.

She had only recently learned the skill of CPR at her school, St Joseph of Cluny. Cllr Saul commended her for her immediate and quick thinking action which saved the life of another human being.

Speaking of the award recipients, Cllr Saul said: “All of these people are great examples of initiatives that have contributed so much to the lives of ordinary people in very different ways. It is to all these people that the annual Cathaoirleachs Awards event is dedicated – to give public recognition to those people who have given outstanding service to their local community.”