Teen Aware 2013

The third annual Teen Aware festival took place on Good Friday at Kilbeggan Racecourse in County Westmeath. This year’s festival aimed to promote suicide awareness, road safety and anti-bullying.

Thousands of teenagers descended on the sleepy midlands town to see some Irish talent like The Original Rudeboys and Royseven. Reality television shows were well represented with The Voice’s Pat Byrne, X Factor’s District 3 and All-Ireland Talent Show’s Na Fianna also playing on the day. Teen Aware is an event created by teenagers, for teenagers and raises awareness on issues relating to teenage life every year.

Corrine Concannon is the secretary of the Teen Aware committee. “It actually came about from a group of Transition Year students, they wanted to try and organise something to raise suicide awareness and they thought the perfect way to get people to attend would be a music festival”, she said.

The event is alcohol free and aimed at people between 13 and 19 years of age.Though the event was born in the midlands, its profile is on the rise. Corinne thinks this is because of the larger profile acts. 2012 saw Bressie, headline the event.

Tickets cost just €15 and all of the money raised was pumped back into Teen Aware and raising awareness.