Local student activist attends Mary Robinson's Climate Conference

Local climate activist Ryan Dolan was one of the youngest attendees of The Mary Robinson Climate Conference, which took place on July 6 and 7 in Ballina, Co Mayo.

Ryan, who is a senior cycle student at Athlone Community College, is a prominent Midlands climate activist and attended the conference as part of the Irish Midlands Region 'Fridays for Future' group. Ryan established this group in the summer of 2021 and sits on the national organising committee for Fridays for Future. The Midlands group encompasses Roscommon, Westmeath, Offaly, and Longford.

The inaugural Mary Robinson Climate Conference theme for 2023 was 'Communities Creating Change', and Ryan's activism is a perfect example of how local communities and young people can help raise awareness of the climate crisis.

Ryan said: “It is difficult sometimes when you're from the West of Ireland or the Midlands to get involved in climate justice.” And although Ryan was the only Midlands Fridays For Future representative in attendance at the conference in Mayo, he said that it is “amazing to see more young people” like himself getting involved in climate justice. His school, Athlone Community College, were overall winners of the recent Arcadia Creative Climate awards. Ryan and his group had been working on their project for over a year.

The Mary Robinson Conference was an excellent opportunity for Ryan to meet other activists and listen to academics and experts on the topic.

During Minister Eamon Ryan's speech at the conference, he was interrupted by Friday For Future protestors criticising the government's failure to adequately address the climate emergency. Ryan, while not involved in the protests, knew of those involved, and how they have “dedicated their lives to climate justice.”

Despite the fact that Ryan is currently a Youth Advisor at the Department of the Taoiseach, he acknowledged that it is still difficult for young people to get their voices across:

“Sometimes it feels like my voice is going somewhere. Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't.”

This is why Ryan is pushing for more young people to raise their voices and take action to help our planet.

“There's lots that young people can do. Take shorter showers, use public transport, join your local Tidy Towns, do 'Meatless Mondays', keep recycling.”