🌟 Comhairle na nÓg Showcase 2025: Youth Voice in Action
We were proud to represent Wicklow Comhairle na nÓg at the 2025 Comhairle na nÓg Showcase in Dublin — a national event that brings together youth councils from every county to highlight the work we’ve done over the past year.
🖼️ Showcasing Our Work
In the morning, each Comhairle presented a poster at their stand, showing off the projects we’ve worked on and how they’ve influenced decision-makers.
Wicklow Comhairle shared the results of our survey and report on drug use among young people in the county. We focused on the accessibility of drugs and how it’s affecting our generation. It was great to have meaningful conversations at our stand, and we were especially proud to welcome:
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Cllr Shane Hickey O’Mara
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Cllr Jesslyn Henry
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Senator Nicole Ryan — who even requested a copy of our report to support her work on drug awareness
🎶 Music, Stories & Shared Experiences
The energy in the room was lifted by a brilliant performance from the Bray Gospel Choir, followed by a powerful talk from a young person about their personal journey with Comhairle. It reminded us all how much we’ve grown and learned from being involved.
🎤 Young People Leading the Conversation
In the afternoon, we took part in two panel discussions with civil servants from:
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The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
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The Department of Education
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The Department of Further & Higher Education
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The HSE (Mental Health)
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The Department of Transport
One of our own Wicklow Comhairle members even chaired the panel — a moment we were all really proud of!
The questions from young people were thoughtful, challenging, and taken seriously by the panel. Even better — they asked us questions back. It felt like a real conversation, not just a box-ticking exercise.
🏆 Celebrating Youth Action
To close out the day, Minister Norma Foley and Taoiseach Micheál Martin hosted a ceremony where two members from each Comhairle went on stage to receive a framed certificate — a small but meaningful recognition of all the work we’ve put in this year.
💬 Final Thoughts
This year’s showcase reminded us why Comhairle na nÓg matters. It’s not just about having our say — it’s about being heard, taken seriously, and being part of real change.
We’re proud of what we’ve achieved, and even more inspired by the work being done by other young people around the country. We left Dublin feeling motivated, connected, and ready to keep going.
📣 Stay Connected
Want to get involved with Wicklow Comhairle na nÓg or find out more about what we do?
👉 Contact Caroline Winstanley, Wicklow Coordinator (cwinstanley@wicklowcoco.ie
087 144 8576)
👉 https://www.instagram.com/wicklow_comhairlenanog/