“Who Inspires you to Learn” Competition
“Everybody inspired me- those with and without the learning. I wanted to understand both types to
succeed in life. I chose the right option.” - Deasún, Galway
“The guy who said "we will see now if you are a sprinter or a marathon man"; on the day I got my
first essay results; eleven years ago. When the going gets tough I think of him. Thanks Paul!!”- Des,
Wexford
“Picture the scene, Dublin in the 40s, no work. I bought myself a Clarinet in the Pawn office, so I
could play in a band. Why? To earn a living.” - Tom, Dublin
“My sister inspired me to learn. Her name was Maria. She had a great love of books and of writing.
She inspired me to go to the Bunclody Adult learning Centre.” - John, Wexford
“Inspired by my sister, I told her I couldn’t cope. I could not read or write and I had no confidence.
Life changed for the better when I met Breda my tutor at Bunclody.” - Owen, Wexford
“As a lone parent of four young children life was busy. Then last year I decided to return to learning.
It was the best thing I ever did. We have fun and learn together.” – Geraldine, Tipperary
“I inspired myself to learn. I saw a poster advertising Adult Courses and I thought why not try. I
have made new friends and I am learning all the time.” – Alice, Tipperary
“I decided to come back because I want to help my daughter do her homework. I want to make
some friends to have conversation with and I want to get a job. I want to be able to do things on my
own and not have to wait for my partner to help me all the time and I want to speak good English.” Parin
“Me! Children are like sponges, they take in things very quickly! I was a sponge too, but no one
showed me how to read. Pity some teachers didn’t realise that I was a sponge too!”- David,
Wexford
“I have to credit my two children with giving me the desire to complete my recent Adult Education
course in Genealogy. I want them to know their family history.” – Niamh, Galway
“My inspiration is my teacher Michelle Donavan, she makes learning easy and fun. She makes me
believe when at times I don't believe I can.” – Chris, Dublin
“Jillian inspired me to go back to education. She told me all about Wave and Railway Square and this
made me want to go back to learning.” – Ger, Kilkenny
“My school teacher! Her faith in me lit a fire in my belly for learning. She now has a progressive
disease and is still inspiring me intellectually and spiritually.” – Mary
“The person who inspires me to learn is my Granddad. I made him a promise that I would make him
proud of me, after being on drugs, education is where I felt he’d be most proud of me.” – Sarah,
Dublin
“Myself and my tutors, I came back to learn as I wanted to achieve something in my learning that I
never had the chance to do in the past. I wanted a chance at education and to enjoy it.” – Michael,
Wexford
“When I received my results the UCD tutor (who was unknown to me) wrote on
my assignment "excellent work, you must keep going!"..... and I did! She was my inspiration.” –
Mary, Donegal
“A snow-flake? The space shuttle? The miracle in a grain of wheat? So many questions. The belief of
those around me, in me, that I could make a difference.” - Dominic, Meath
“I went back to learning for my sons. I want to help them with schoolwork. For myself, I want to read
and write better and do my FETAC to Junior Cert level.” – Annie, Wexford
“I have four children and three are in school, they have homework every day and I want to cope with
it and be a good dad to them.” – James, Wexford
“I came back to education because of my children. It is nice to come back and learn. The people are
very friendly and you learn more about yourself.” – Caroline, Wexford
“My mother inspired me and my son to go back to learning. Now I can help him with his homework
and I can read and write now, so I am proud of myself.” – Maura, Wexford
“My daughter inspires me to learn because if I don’t have an education then I can’t get a good job to
support my daughter and be a positive role model’’- Elaine, Carlow
“My daughter inspires me I hope you agree, I want the best life for her as she really inspires me to
be the best that I can really be.” – Alex, Carlow
“A woman called Bernie Frayne was my inspiration to return to education, she was a mature student
who came to the women's group I attended to teach social studies. Previous to this I was unaware
adults could return to education.”- Sarah, Dublin
“I can sometimes relate my experience of education to the CS Lewis story. The Lion The Witch and
The Wardrobe, the moment the kids discovered another world upon opening the door at the back of
the wardrobe. I discovered a whole other world through education.” – Richie, Dublin
“My children inspired me to learn. As a single parent I made the decision to return to education.
After years of hard work, I now have an honours degree.” - Regina
“My son inspires me to learn, I never had an education and I want different for my son and I hope he
learns from me.” – Ashling, Carlow
“My brother and sister inspired me to learn because it would help me with writing, spelling, reading,
maths and computers so I said I would give it a go.”- Michael
“My son inspired me to return to adult learning. I live on my own and it gave me a purpose to life. I
found it a very daunting experience.”- Marie
“The reason I went back to Adult Learning was to achieve my goal in having my Junior Cert as I
always wanted to have my results to show people.”- Mary, Laois
“I inspired myself to go back to education, I thought it would help me to do more with my brains and
keep me going and I can put them on my C.V.”- Maura, Laois
“I inspired myself to learn English. Part of my inspiration is my two sons, aged 5 and 7 going to
school and it is difficult for me to help them with their homework.”- Morek
“My daughter inspired me to learn English because she speaks good English. I want to be able to
communicate with Irish people.” – Gregon
“My daughter is 5 years old. One day she came home and started talking with me and I didn’t
understand her. I decide that day I would try to learn English, now I am learning and I like it.”- Diana,
Laois
“I inspired myself to learn English because I need to speak English everyday; at the shop, at work, in
the town. I am very interested in learning the English language because it can improve my life, make
my life more interesting, exciting and I can make more friends.” – Elena, Laois
“I inspired myself to learn English, without English I can’t communicate with Irish people, find a job,
read newspapers or understand people speaking on the radio. In my opinion, if I decided to live in
Ireland, to learn English is my duty.” – Ineta, Laois
“I am learning English to make integration in Ireland easier and because I am an Irish citizen. I must
speak and understand English. When I speak English I can help my children with their homework.” –
Maya, Laois
“I inspired myself to learn English, I need to be able to communicate with people. Good English is
better for my life and for my working life.” – Tomas, Laois
“My son inspired me to learn English because he is younger and speaks very good English. When I
think about my future I want to be able to communicate with Irish people, I can meet new people
and it will help me find a job.” – Jacek, Laois
“I inspired myself to learn English because I am living in Ireland and people speak the English
language, I want to be able to communicate with people in Ireland.”- Martina, Laois
“I inspired myself to learn English. Over the last few years I have lived in Ireland and without the
language it is very hard. It is nice if you know what is going on around you and your family. I see my
daughter, she is 15 years of old and her English is brilliant. Her life is like a piece of cake, sweet and
soft. I want a piece of this cake.” – Eva, Laois
“The reason I came to the adult learning centre was to help my children to do their homework and
to improve my English.” – Rogeri, Laois
“I want to learn and improve my English because my boyfriend is Irish and speaks English so I want
to know his language and his culture.”- Maria, Laois
“If I learn English, I might be able to teach other people, I wanted to learn English, no one
encouraged me to come to this course, I came here willingly and I am very happy I came to this
course.” – Ekrem, Laois
“My two sons go to Portlaoise College. They told me to go to English lessons so that I could make
friends in Ireland and invite people to eat my delicious Nepali food and learn how to do Nepali
dancing.” – Barbari, Laois
“When I make Irish friends then it is important to learn English for myself. I want English as my
second language.”- Barkat, Laois
“I stayed in Ireland because I was happy and I liked it, I want to speak English to make more friends
and to get a job in hairdressing.”- Elisangela, Laois
“I wanted to come back to learning because I wanted to prove that I wasn’t stupid, I didn’t want to
learn maths at first. After a while I tried it and found it helpful.” – Marie, Waterford
“I have recently been lucky enough to find inspiration to learn and have confidence in my writing,
the inspiring person is my tutor Denise Curtin” – Catherine
“As an early school leaver I inspire myself to learn and achieving an A in Maths made me so proud
and has given me the confidence to keep going.” – Marian
“Proving to myself that there is nothing impossible in this life and everything can be achieved is what
inspires me to learn” – Phil
“My little girl 6months old, who is very energetic and bold, she inspires me in every way and I hope
she looks up to me someday.”- Melanie, Carlow
“My son inspired me to come back to education to help him with his maths.” – John, Waterford
“My sister taught me how to learn, she taught me through children’s basic books. I came back to
learning so I could help my children do their homework.”- Daniel, Waterford
“The person who inspires me to learn is my daughter. I want to be a good influence on her and I
want her to look up to me.”- Shauna, Carlow
“My daughter Leah inspires me to learn because I want her to have a good role model to look up to.
That’s what inspired me to go back to education.” – Samantha, Carlow
“My daughter inspires me to learn, before her nobody pushed me to do anything, now I have her I
tell her to reach for the stars. So why wouldn’t I.” – Sharon, Kildare
“My grandmother inspires me, she passed two years ago after a vigorous fight with cancer. She was
not educated and always encouraged myself and her grandchildren to do well.” – Ashley, Kildare
“My two kids inspire me to learn, since the day I had them I have learned so much more in life and
being their mum is the best thing in the world.”-Danielle, Carlow
“My husband Nicholas inspires me hugely because of his drive and determination, focus and forward
planning, also Imelda Hanratty and having the opportunity of a lovely place like An Cosán.” – Denise,
Dublin
“My son Evan inspires me to learn so I can provide a better life for both of us and also to be a good
positive role model for my son.” – Natalie, Carlow
“The desire to be educated was always something I badly wanted for myself. I felt that I was robbed
of my education and I wanted to be mature in every sense and I found adult learning from the FÁS
office and have never been so happy.”- Bridget
“My desire for knowledge comes from within. I am curious about the world and its people. I learn so
I can grow as an individual and better understand life.”- Celine, Dublin
“My son inspires me to learn because he’s the reason I wake up smiling in the morning and he gives
me the boost I need to make something of myself.”- Kathryn, Carlow
“My sisters inspire me to learn because they are the most supportive people in my life and know
that I can do so well for myself and give me confidence.”-Nicola, Carlow
“My so inspires me to learn, since the day I had him I wanted to put my all into learning to build a
better fuller life for him.”- Mary, Carlow