Local Tipperary Lions Club announces Young Person of the Year for 2025

Rhys Coppinger from Boherlahan is the Cashel Young Person of the Year 2025.

Rhys was selected following a nomination and selection process which concluded with interviews which were held in Cashel Community School on Wednesday, November 12.

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The Cashel Young Person of the Year is organised annually by Cashel Lions Club and the award is intended to encourage young people to volunteer in their local community.

Rhys impressed the interview panel with his eloquent account of his involvement in the Order of Malta.

Rhys always had an ‘interest in the medical field’.

Rhys enjoys helping people and being involved in his local community.

He particularly enjoyed being on patrol with the Order of Malta at the Dualla Show.

Rhys’s family have a long history of involvement in the Order of Malta and Rhys had no hesitation in nominating the Order of Malta for a €250 donation from Cashel Lions Club which would go towards the purchase or renewal of equipment.

Rhys is also a young man with many talents and interests.

He is very passionate about music and he displayed the extent of his musical talent in the recent Cashel Community School musical, ‘West End to Broadway’, when he played a range of different characters which involved ‘many duets and solos’.

He also enjoys writing his own songs and playing a range of instruments.

Rhys is also a member of the school debating team and is an ‘avid lover of history and politics’.

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Rhys will represent Cashel Lions Club in the Lions Clubs of Ireland Young Ambassador of the Twenty First Century Final in January 2026.

Cashel Lions Club is deeply indebted to Affinity Credit Union Cashel who are the very generous sponsors of the Cashel Young Person of the Year Competition.

The club would also like to thank Ian Shelly, Margaret Skehan and Paddy O’Leary who gave so generously of their time to review the applications and conduct the interviews for the competition.

Cashel Lions Club is also appreciative of the support received from Mr Tony Nolan and Cashel Community School in the organising and hosting of this year’s competition.