Fionan Lynch outside the US Ambassador’s residence.
DONEGAL man Fionán Lynch has recently been appointed to the US Embassy in Ireland Youth Council. The Youth Council comprises a diverse cross-section of young people, including students, young entrepreneurs, civil society members, and government representatives who have been nominated to the US Embassy because they ‘characterise the promising future of Ireland’.
Fionán is the son of Letterkenny’s Independent Town Councillor Jim Lynch, previous Chairperson of the Northern Regional Council of Young Fine Gael, currently studying International Relations in Dublin City University and worked with Fine Gael T.D for Kilkenny/Carlow John Paul Phelan in his office in Leinster House for six months.
Youth Councils have been created at U.S. Embassies and Consulates worldwide to encourage a two-way dialogue with emerging young leaders to help find solutions to shared challenges. The U.S. Department of State’s Office of Global Youth Issues seeks to work through U.S. Missions and Youth Councils around the world to help empower and support young people as they transform their communities in positive ways with their ideas, energy, and talent.
The Irish Youth Council was launched by the then Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and the US Embassy in Dublin in December 2012 and is the 50th of its kind around the world Fionán was nominated to the position as a representative of SpunOut, a not-for-profit organisation representing young people on campaigns and easy access to relevant, reliable, and non-judgmental advice on a wide range of issues via their website SpunOut.ie
“I was delighted to receive the nomination on behalf of SpunOut, with these things you always just assume there is someone more experienced and talented lining up for it, so it was a bit of a shock. None the less now that I’m there I intend to represent the region to the best of my ability. Growing up in a periphery county such as Donegal I feel I have a very unique perspective on the council on issues such as mental health. youth unemployment and relations with Northern Ireland which this youth council tries to integrate.”
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