Public Speaking Success for St. Louis

On November 21, four Year 13 of St Louis pupils took part in the local heat - Niamh Laverty, Siofra O’Mullan, Angela O’Boyle and Erin O’Mullan, who had to deliver a speech lasting six minutes on topics included education, stress management, human trafficking and the place of books in our modern world.

It was a proud night for St.Louis when the judges announced that three of their pupils had picked up first, second and third places.

These were awarded to Niamh, Siofra and Erin respectively and Niamh will go on to compete in the Northern Ireland final.

Niamh’s winning speech on ‘Books: Are they a thing of the past?’ received particular praise because she spoke confidently and clearly, directly to the audience with almost no reference to her notes.

A St Louis spokesperson said: “All four girls put a huge amount of time and effort in to their speeches and are to be commended for the highly polished performances they gave on the night. Well done to all!”

A spokesperson for Ballymena Soroptimist’s said afterwards that the girls’ teacher, Grainne Beattie, “had every reason to be proud of them”.

The Annual Public Speaking Competition has been running for 31 years and plays an important part in encouraging young women to develop the skill to speak effectively and articulate with clarity while developing their self-confidence.

Speaking of how much she is looking forward to the finals of the competition in February, Darina Armstrong, Chief Executive of the Progressive Building Society said: “The ability to speak constructively and coherently in a public setting is an essential skill in today’s very challenging workplace”.

The Youth Award Final will be in The Great Hall, Magee College, Londonderry on February 23.