Wilson’s student represents Mullingar in Soroptimist speaking competition
From Soroptimist Mullingar and District
It was a wonderful delight to have the 2022 National Final of the Soroptimist International Girls Public Speaking Competition held in person recently in the D Hotel in Drogheda. Soroptimist Mullingar were proud to have Niamh Grier, Wilson’s Hospital School, Multyfarnham, come through the regional final to secure a place and represent them in the final.
Niamh’s journey to the final started with the local Soroptimist competition in the Mullingar Park Hotel on 10 November 2021. Due to the high level of interest in the competition, it was necessary to limit the number of participants from each school to three.
Schools ran an in-school competition. Covid restrictions at that time permitted the competition to be held in person and Wilson’s Hospital School, Loreto College Mullingar and Castlepollard Community College participated. Niamh and Emily Shaw, Loreto College, were selected to proceed to one of the four regional competitions.
On January 22, the regional competition, organised by Soroptimist Athlone, had to be hosted virtually due to pandemic restrictions. On the day following an impressive speech delivery, Niamh secured her place in the final with Elizabeth Ibiyemi, St Oliver’s Community College, Drogheda.
At the final in Drogheda seven regional finalists spoke on a range of topics, including environment, friendship and the empowerment of women. Niamh’s topic for the competition was ‘Partnership and Empowerment of Women’. The competition was split into two categories – the presentation of topics; and two-minute speeches dealing with the random topic, ‘storm’.
The girls were given two minutes to prepare in advance. Eve Donohoe from Loreto Secondary School, Wexford, was chosen as winner by the panel of judges.
Soroptimist Mullingar thank all the local schools their teachers, the girls who participated, their parents and their local adjudicators. Without that wonderful network of support, it would not be possible to be participating in this wonderful girls public speaking completion.
Particular thanks to Wilson’s Hospital school, Niamh’s teacher Mr Enoch Burke, and her family who supported Niamh and to Niamh herself, who did us so proud.
We look forward to working with all the schools again in November 2022 for next year’s competition.