Lord Mayor and Dublin Bus CEO hit the road to spread kindness in schools
Dublin City Council and Dublin Bus have teamed up this week as the Lord Mayor and Billy Hann hit the road to deliver a dose of kindness to local classrooms.As part of Kindness Heroes Week 2026, Lord Mayor Councillor Ray McAdam and Dublin Bus CEO Billy Hann rode around the city encouraging kindness, empathy, and positive actions in classrooms, playgrounds, clubs and communities. From a musical performance at Central Model Primary School on Marlborough Street to an anti-littering campaign at Stoneybatter’s St. Gabriels National School, Dublin schoolchildren embraced kindness in all its forms.Speaking with Dublin Live, Lord Mayor McAdam said this is the week he’s been most excited for in his entire term, as the message stands in stark contrast to the hectic nature of modern times and current global political tensions. “There’s so much noise going on in the world at the moment and we are reminding our young students the importance of kindness,” he said.Kindness Heroes Week was started in 2024 by former Lord Mayor Daithi de Roiste, who sought to visit schools and spread positivity. Since then, it has grown with over 159 schools and clubs endeavouring to “make kindness your superpower.” To support the week’s activities, Dublin City Council provided each participating school and club with a Kindness Pack containing posters, certificates, badges, stickers, kindness charts and mindfulness activity books.Lord Mayor McAdam said representatives could learn a lot from innate kindness that Dublin schoolchildren displayed today and stressed that, over his 17 years in local government, success comes down to "collaboration and partnership.” “You can’t achieve anything in local government without either,” he said.“You rarely hear me talk about 'I', it’s all about 'we.' I think the way we do that is by showing kindness, listening to one another, hearing someone else's viewpoint, and looking at how you can work together to achieve for the people you are elected to serve.”“It’s great to be able to harness that and experience that in their classroom, in their locality, and I think that’s one of the things I’ve tried to do this year in the context of celebrating Dublin. The best way to celebrate Dublin is to celebrate Dubliners.”This year, Dublin Bus has teamed up with Dublin City Council to help spread their message of kindness, and CEO Billy Hann spoke about how this extends to transport. He said their goal is to encourage passengers and drivers to be kinder to one another.Whether that’s by thanking the bus driver as passengers exit, giving up one’s seat for a vulnerable person, or making sure to clear the way so those with disabilities can get on first, Billy says all of these things go a long way toward making Dublin’s transport feel kinder.Irish people have a reputation for being kind, and while it’s considered normal to thank bus drivers, this isn’t the case in many other countries. Billy said this is a habit they want to encourage, as drivers appreciate a little appreciation, and he believes that once someone puts kindness out into the world “it is normally reciprocated back.”“Dublin Bus is proud to support Dublin City Council’s Kindness Heroes Week and to play a small part in celebrating the positive impact young people have in their schools and communities every day,” Billy said.“Kindness helps build stronger, safer and more connected communities, values that are at the heart of Dublin Bus. We are delighted to provide the bus for the Lord Mayor’s school visits and to help bring this important message directly to students across the city."Dublin City Comhairle na nÓg Co‑ordinator Christine Lyons said that Dublin’s young people “truly made kindness their superpower this week” and highlighted the thoughtful gestures and support seen from classmates and friends. “It’s encouraging to see how quickly kindness can spread when young people lead the way, and how their actions inspire others to do the same,” she said.Today's itinerary saw Lord Mayor McAdam and Billy Hann visit:Our Lady of Victories NS Ballymun, Ballymun RoadSt. Gabriels National School Cowper Street, StoneybatterCentral Model Primary School, Marlborough StreetLarkin Community College, Champion’s AvenuePresentation Primary School, George’s Hill, Halston StreetThis content is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting SchemeWant to see more of the stories you love from Dublin Live? Making us your preferred source on Google means you’ll get more of our exclusives, top stories and must-read content straight away. To add Dublin Live as a preferred source, simply click here.
