THE JUNIOR CERTIFICATE results night has often been synonymous with underage drinking and related problems but a number of groups in Galway have come together to ensure that is a thing of past decades.
For the past six years, the Health Service Executive – in conjunction with a number of other organisations – has organised a celebration for all Transition and Fifth Year students who have received their first State exam results.
This year’s event takes place tonight at The Black Box, where between 800 and 1,000 students are expected to attend.
The agencies involved say they want to provide a safe, drug-and-alcohol-free venue for teenagers to celebrate their achievements.
One of the organisers, Paul Tannion, told TheJournal.ie that there is proof that the format works. “There is no doubt it has reduced trouble massively,” he said.
The decision to establish the celebration was taken seven years ago after it was well-documented that there was a “lack of appropriate events organised for young people after the announcement of the Junior Cert results”.
The HSE said that the follow-on from this “has tended to be a night fraught with anti-social behaviour as young people socialise in unsuitable venues”. Jigsaw, Foróige, Galway City Partnership, Galway City VEC, the Gardaí, Galway City Council, Youth Work Ireland, Western Regional Drugs Task force, Lions Club and the Galway City Post Primary schools came together to rectify the problem and provide a safe social outlet.
Each student in the city who gets their results this morning will also receive a free invitation for what has been described as a “mega-party” running between 8.30pm to midnight in the Eyre Square venue.
It is supervised by more than 50 experienced volunteers from the agencies involved.
Young people who are attending the night’s celebrations have been asked to complete an application form which includes contact details for parents, who have been reminded that it is their responsibility to ensure the safe arrival and collection of their sons and daughters.
Organisers have warned that any person wishing to attend the event but arrives under the influence of drugs or alcohol will be refused admission and their parents contacted.
Although the project has worked in Galway, there are no central plans within the HSE to set up similar celebrations in other areas. Almost 59,000 candidates will receive their results this morning.
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