The Irish Times | Irish journalist Sally Hayden named as European Young Leader

Irish journalist Sally Hayden has been nominated a European Young Leader (EYL40) this year by the Brussels-based think tank Friends of Europe for her work on migration, conflict and humanitarian crises.

Hayden, who reports from Africa for The Irish Times, was named Journalist of the Year at the Irish Journalism Awards in 2023, and her first book, My Fourth Time, We Drowned: Seeking Refuge on the World’s Deadliest Migration Route, which focuses on human rights abuses fuelled by anti-migration policies in Europe, was awarded multiple times.

This year, Hayden joins a class of European Young Leaders including an Olympic swimmer, a glaciologist, politicians from various levels of government, green tech entrepreneurs, start-up founders, and other award-winning journalists.