MY name is Bronágh Cosgrove. I am 17 years old and currently studying my first year of A-Levels in County Fermanagh. I am studying Government and Politics, English Literature, and Health and Social Care.
So far, my favourite has been English Literature, as I am extremely interested in reading and writing, especially writing. Since I was young I have always loved telling stories either about my own life or something I made up. As I developed my literacy skills, I turned those stories into books I enjoyed making, even with little illustrations I drew. I am now in the process of writing my own book that I have been working on for a few months now and hope to complete within the next year.
I chose to do my work experience at Andersonstown News for numerous reasons. The first and most obvious one is because I really enjoy writing and would love to experience the different career routes it has to offer.
Another important reason I chose to come here is because Belfast is where I grew up. As I am in Year 13, this will most likely be my last year at work experience before I have to apply for universities. I wanted to make sure that I chose a place that I can learn as much as possible but also enjoy it as much as I can, and what better place than being somewhere I spent the majority of my youth.
Andersonstown News publishes articles about all the news and current affairs happening within the local community. I find this highly intriguing as I love to spend time down in Belfast, so experiencing my work placement here in the heart of journalism for West Belfast was extremely exciting.
I enjoy reading coming of age books. Stories that go on to explain how young people grow and mature into an adult even from difficult situations in their life. Those kinds of books inspire me to write my own stories in the hope that one day someone will read them and find something to relate to. I have found that over the years different storylines that may seem simple actually give out a more important, bigger message, and even changed my perspective on certain situations in my own life.
Other than writing, I also like to play Gaelic in my spare time. I started when I was in primary school and have been pursuing it ever since. I took a bit of a break from it last year but I am now fully prepared for the next season that will begin in March.
I am still unsure of what I would like to study in university or where I would like to attend, but what I am sure of is that I would like to travel. I’ve been to a couple of places through the years, but my favourite has been France. The beauty of other cities fascinates me. Learning about cultural differences and the history of different countries is something I hope to achieve in the future.
One of the main places on my bucket list to visit is Canada. A bit of a random one, but a beautiful country. I love camping and forest scenery, so Canada has always been a place of interest for me. Canada is also known for its snowy mountains, which is great for skiing. A couple of years back I went skiing for the first time with my school in Italy. It was a close tie with France for my favourite holiday experience. I did not expect to enjoy it so much but after I got the hang of it, I loved it! I'd love to go again, so it is all the more reason to go to Canada.
On my first day of placement with the Andersonstown News, I got the opportunity to attend an event hosted at Ulster University where Irish President Catherine Connolly gave a speech. She was on her first visit to the North of Ireland as President and had earlier visited Stormont to meet with First Minister Michelle O’Neil and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly that morning. It was a privilege to attend and witness the speech live and in person.
Lagan Valley was another spot I visited during my time there. I went with Thomas McMullan, the photographer, to take some pictures for next week's paper. We captured some moments of the local people enjoying a scenic walk.
I'm a very curious person who is eager to learn about the world around me, that is why I take such an interest in journalism, so I can then express everything I learn through my writing. I am excited to continue my writing journey with my experience of doing my work placement at Andersonstown News, where I have received many opportunities to get a taste of what its like to be the voice of West Belfast in the form of journalism.
Bronágh Cosgrove was on work experience with the Andersonstown News last week.
