Balgriffin resident to represent Ireland at European Soapbox competition

The winner of a national public speaking competition who hails from Fingal, has her sights set on Brussels after a landmark win at the Europe Direct Soapbox Championship. The theme of this year’s event focused on misinformation, disinformation and propaganda.

Now in its 10th year, the competition saw the 12 Irish regional winners go head-to-head virtually for the right to represent the nation at the European version of the Soapbox initiative to be held in the Belgium capital next year.

April Bracken, from Balgriffin, first impressed judges when she topped the 17 and over category at the Regional Soapbox round held in November, with her impassioned speech on "Lies, damned lies and statistics". That win saw her progress to the national final.

April learned about the competition via the Fingal Libraries Facebook page- @FingalLibraries and had already watched the Europe Direct series of videos on the topic of disinformation online, available on the ED YouTube channel and podcast.

“I found the ‘Disinformation in the Digital Age’ interview series, created by Europe Direct Blanchardstown, really helpful in gathering information and giving different perspectives on the motion,” April said.

“I was delighted to be selected as a regional winner, and I’m over the moon to win the National final! I am particularly excited by the trip to Brussels with MEP Maria Walsh’s generous support.”

As well as taking out the title, April was delighted to win the top prize of €1,000 and a trip to Brussels, where she will receive a tour of the European Parliament and other EU institutions. This trip is kindly sponsored by Maria Walsh MEP.

And it seems the victory is proving to be an inspiration for others - April’s two children were particularly thrilled about their mother’s win and have ambitions of their own.

“My two children, Noah & Eli, are excited by the win - especially the iPad - and they are both determined to enter the competition themselves in the future!”

Congratulating April on her fantastic performances at the National Final, Manager of the Blanchardstown Europe Direct Centre, Siobhan Walshe said: “April was a worthy winner at the Regional Final in Blanchardstown, and her passion for the topic shone through her speech. We are delighted for April, and we would like to thank her for representing our Europe Direct Centre at such a high standard on the national stage.”

Fingal County Librarian Betty Boardman added: “On behalf of Fingal Libraries I would like to congratulate April on winning the senior category. Her arguments were very well researched and thought out, and she put those forward with conviction and confidence. I would also like to thank the staff at Blanchardstown Library’s Europe Direct Centre for organising the regional round of the Soapbox Competition and for their excellent work in 2021 in facilitating the dissemination of information and in providing a platform for the debate of important issues.”

Some of the issues covered by Europe Direct Blanchardstown in 2021 included The European Green Deal, The Covid-19 Vaccine and the EU Digital Transformation. The videos made on these topics can be found here

April’s winning presentation can be viewed here