Mayo students get hands-on look at local democracy with County Council workshop

Students from St Joseph’s Secondary School and Davitt College in Castlebar had the chance to see local government in action this week, as Mayo County Council delivered a Local Democracy Workshop as part of its county roadshow.

The workshop aimed to give young people a practical insight into the workings of local councils and encourage wider participation in civic life.

The session, facilitated by the See Her Elected initiative, was supported by funding from the Increasing Diversity and the Participation of Women in Local Government programme from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Cllr Donna Sheridan, who spoke to the students about her role as a councillor, stressed the value of exposing students to local democracy early. 

“I think it’s really good to let students come into the council, get them to see what happens, talk to us, and see how local democracy works in real terms, in their own communities,” she said.

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Cllr Sheridan also reflected on what she hoped students would take away from the workshop. 

“I hope they understood how I got into politics, what their elected representatives do, and just gained a better insight into local politics. Sometimes seeing someone who has done it can show you that it’s possible, too,” she said.

The councillor noted that students were particularly engaged when asking about women in politics and managing the day-to-day demands of public office. 

“It was really fun. They were very interested, and it showed that they really wanted to find out more,” she shared. “It was really, really interesting. And I got their talks too on some local issues.”

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While no further workshops are currently scheduled, Cllr Sheridan emphasised that Mayo County Council is open to facilitating similar sessions in the future. 

“If a school is interested, we can always arrange something. Talking to young people and hearing their thoughts is one of the parts of my job, I really enjoy,” she said.

The Local Democracy Workshop in Castlebar forms part of a broader effort to increase youth participation in politics and support diversity in local government, giving students a first-hand understanding of how councils operate and how they can get involved.