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Teen climate change activist Saoirse Exton wins Limerick Person of the Month award Teen climate change activist Saoirse Exton wins Limerick Person of the Month award

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Saoirse Exton wins Limerick Person of the Month for her contribution to climate change

Saoirse Exton speaking at the March for Our Lives protest organised by Limerick Against Pollution. Picture: Picture: Bruna Vaz Mattos/ilovelimerick Saoirse Exton wins

Saoirse Exton wins Limerick Person of the Month for her contribution to climate change

By I Love Limerick Correspondent Mia Wang

 


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14-year-old Gaelcholaiste Luimnigh student Saoirse Exton wins the Limerick Person of the Month award for her work related to climate change issues with the Fridays for Future Limerick movement. Saoirse, a Climate Activist with Fridays for Future Limerick, is now nominated for Limerick Person of the Year and will go forward to next year’s Limerick Person of the Year awards and is with a great chance of winning. 

Saoirse said she felt very honoured about being nominated. Her work with the Fridays for Future Limerick is impressive and the project is part of a global initiative that encourages students in every education level to strike in front of their local government buildings. 

The Fridays for Future movement was started by sixteen-year-old Greta Thunberg from Sweden spoke out about the lack of action from world leaders and governments in relation to climate change and began striking from school. Greta has since inspired others and started an international movement.

On September 20, 2019, a Global Climate Strike was held in Limerick and over 1,000 people joined Saoirse and fellow Friday for Future Limerick representatives in protest. 

Saoirse Exton wins Limerick Person of the Month award

Saoirse Exton receiving her person of the month award from Eugene Phelan, editor Limerick Leader, with Mary Riordan, Southern, and Pat Reddan, Clayton Hotel also pictured PICTURE: Adrian Butler

“The government is not doing enough, they are not recognizing our voices and they are not recognizing who we are and what we are doing, that is very disgraceful and disrespectful,” Saoirse said at the protest.

On Saturday, October 5 Limerick Against Pollution held a ‘March for Our Lives’ protest. Thousands of Limerick citizens, businesses and politicians took to the streets in protest of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision to allow Irish Cement to burn 90,000 tonnes of waste in Mungret.

Saoirse was a key speaker at the protest and spoke to ilovelimerick saying that, “the environment issue is about life and death. It is climate justice, we have to respect everyone, we have to respect people, but our government keeps ignoring us for too long and now we need to stand up and fight back. I think it is incredible that so many people are here, I am excited because I know changes coming, and we will be here to face the change.” 

Saoirse and Fridays For Future Limerick will continue to protest outside Limerick city hall until significant action is taken from the government. You can join them every Friday from 9 am to 3 pm and follow the Fridays for Future Limerick Facebook page for updates. 

“We are being ignored, as the people. Our air is being put in jeopardy. I think it’s ridiculous that we actually have to protest today, I’m angry, I’m still in shock that this is allowed to go ahead. I’m here as a climate activist on behalf of Fridays Future Limerick because this is climate injustice. I want the EPA to do what it says it will do and protect our environment,” she added.

For more information on the Fridays for Future movement click here. 

For more stories on Saoirse Exton click here.

Richard is a presenter, producer, songwriter and actor. He was named the Limerick Person of the Year (2011) and won an online award at the Metro Éireann Media and Multicultural Awards (2011) for promoting multi-culturalism online. Richard says that the ilovelimerick.com concept is very much a community driven project that aims to document life in Limerick. So, that in 20 years time people can look back and remember the events that were making the headlines.