âIt impacts on your mental health . . . when you come in here to school and thereâs 1,000 students, you can talk to people; whereas at home, youâre in your bedroom for seven or eight hours, with very little social contact.â
Amid the lockdown students like Ben Malone (19) ended up on the frontline in the fight against Covid-19. He volunteers with the Order of Malta, which has been supporting the Health Servic e Executive in the public health response.
âIt was busy and a real step up, working in the back of the ambulance in full PPE [personal protective equipment]. It was weird, but a fantastic experience and I learned a lot of new skills.â