Fáilte Ireland, last week, welcomed home the victorious Irish team who represented Ireland at the recent WorldSkills Competition in Calgary, Canada. The team was officially welcomed at Government Buildings by Tánaiste Mary Coughlan and Batt O’Keeffe, Minister for Education and included two award winning hospitality students – Kristina Beale, Co Wexford and Breid Devlin, Co Donegal – who brought home a bronze medal in restaurant service and a medallion of excellence in cookery.
Hailed as the pinnacle of global skills, trades, and technology competition, the World Skills Competition promotes excellence and international competency throughout the craft areas. This year over 900 international competitors from 49 countries competed simultaneously in 45 skill categories during four days of intense competition.
With the support of Fáilte Ireland, Kristina and Breid underwent an intensive period of training in the run up to the completion where they competed in the areas which held some of the largest number of competitors. Kristina Beale, triumphed over 24 other countries to win a bronze medal in restaurant service while Breid Devlin, competed against 34 other countries to be awarded a medallion of honour in cookery.
Speaking on their success Shaun Quinn, CEO, Fáilte Ireland said –
“We are delighted that both students were so successful in such a prestigious competition. Competing at this level on a world stage demands the highest degree of professionalism and these results only prove that both Kristina and Breid demonstrated world class standards in each of their categories in Calgary.”
Caption: Pictured outside Government Buildings yesterday were (l. to r.): Kristina Beale and Breid Devlin, award winners in hospitality categories at WorldSkills; Shane Raftery, Fáilte Ireland, Tánaiste Mary Coughlan T.D. and Shaun Quinn, CEO, Fáilte Ireland