On Monday past, a group of Transition Year students from Loreto Secondary School in Letterkenny made three very special deliveries to members of the emergency services before Christmas.

As part of their TY Cumann Gaelach project, the students launched a community project to focus on the emergency services in the area in appreciation of all the hard work they do, particularly over the Christmas Period.

“The students began researching the statistics associated with the work of the emergency services over this period, and their eyes were opened to the number of people who give up their Christmas to help others,” a student representative said.

“With a dramatic increase in accidents over the holidays, the emergency services are called on to help people in need, taking Gardai, Paramedics and Fire Service Personnel away from their families and celebrations over Christmas.

“The students at Loreto wished to make a gesture of recognition and appreciation to the Emergency services because of the incredible work they do and sacrifices they make throughout the year and particularly now, over the Christmas period, when the rest of us are beginning to wind down with festive celebrations.

“The students visited the local Garda Station, the Paramedics’ Base and the Fire Station, to present the workers with hampers filled with baked goods as a token of gratitude on behalf of our school and community. In each of these locations, the students received a great reception, and these workers took the time to show the girls around their bases and demonstrate to them exactly what their jobs entailed.

“Without doubt, the students of this TY Loreto class finished their day feeling much richer in the knowledge that by recognising the hard work each of these services do on behalf of our communities, it might make their jobs a little easier for them.

“The students would like to thank An Garda Siochana, the National Ambulance Service Paramedics and the Fire Services Personnel for taking the time out of their extremely busy schedule to facilitate their visits, and to also thank all people we did not meet today, who will be working this Christmas on behalf of our Community – it really is appreciated.”