Comhairle na nÓg Showcase

COMHAIRLE SHOWCASE 2023

Over 500 young people involved in Comhairle na nÓg gathered at Croke Park stadium on Tuesday April 4 2023 to showcase and celebrate their wide range of achievements and be inspired by a host of speakers and entertainers.

The event gave the 31 Comhairle na nÓg groups the opportunity to exhibit their work and engage directly with local and national decision makers to inform them about the topics and issues that are important to them.

Speaking about the event, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said; “The National Showcase is about recognising the valuable work of Comhairle na nÓg and its contribution to the lives of so many young people around the country. It gives me great hope to witness the enthusiasm and commitment of the young people involved, who should have their voices heard on a wide range of policies and issues.

Commenting on the importance of the event, Roderic O’Gorman, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth said; “Comhairle na nÓg plays a huge role in ensuring the voices of young people are heard around the country and its members have made great strides over the years, both at a local and national level. Today’s gathering is especially important in order to celebrate the achievements of Comhairle na nÓg and the tremendous impact of the work being done.”

Watch a video of highlights of the Comhairle na nÓg Showcase 2023 below!

COMHAIRLE SHOWCASE 2020:

Sat. 5th December 2020

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2020 EVENT:

In what has been a year like no other, Comhairle na nÓg members experienced a Showcase like no other. The showcase, which took place as a live virtual event, is a biannual event that celebrates the work of the members of Comhairle na nÓg. While the event could not take place in a single space this year, over 380 young people from all around the country came together at a virtual event to celebrate their achievements and be inspired by a host of speakers and entertainers. This special interactive event, which was hosted by Doireann Garrihy, showcased the tremendous work of each of the 31 Comhairlí na nÓg. Guest contributions from An Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Astronaut Col. Chris Hadfield, Niall Horan, Musician, spoken word artist and activist Denise Chaila, Minister Roderic O’Gorman TD, and Irish act Picture This.

The most important part of the day was the launch of the two videos which painted an arresting visual picture of the tremendous work being carried out locally. Even a pandemic could not stop these young people. Take a look at our two videos below which gives a snapshot of each and every one of the 31 Comhairlí.

GUEST CONTRIBUTIONS:

Here you can watch the opening address from An Taoiseach Micheál Martin. He states “it is clear that Comhairlí have responded to problems of Covid with creativity and positivity”. He has assured us ‘the government is listening and will keep your issues on the agenda”

A popular special guest was singer Niall Horan who gave a lovely shout-out to Comhairle members nationwide.

Musical entertainment was provided by Picture This, with some powerful words for the young people from band member Ryan – Every time I’ve ever followed my gut, I’ve ended up in the right place’

COMHAIRLE SHOWCASE 2018:

Comhairle Showcase 2018 took place in Croke Park on Thursday 22nd November. Over 400 Comhairle members from all over the country were in attendance to showcase the work and the projects they’ve been involved with over the past two years. The event was formally opened by Minister for Children & Youth Affairs Dr Katherine Zappone and MC for the event was TV presenter Kathryn Thomas.#ComhairleShowcase

The Showcase is a massive celebration of the work of the 31 Comhairlí. Here is our video which was launched on the day and highlights all the fantastic work going on across the country by the 31 Comhairlí.

The afternoon was given over to a workshop session. The theme of the workshop was Student Voice, a topic being worked on by the National Executive. The information gathered from the Showcase will feed into a report which will inform the development of their Guidelines on Student Voice. Fifty two young people were trained up as facilitators in advance of the event and were responsible for facilitating the workshop discussions. The topic was discussed under five headings:

• School rules
• Subjects and subject choice
• School uniform and appearance
• Extra-curricular activities
• School management

You can download the report here: Comhairle na nÓg Showcase Report 2019

The day finished on a celebratory note with each Comhairle being presented with a Certificate of Achievement by Dr Fergal Lynch, Secretary General of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.

PRESS RELEASE:

460 young people, aged 12 -18, from 31 Comhairlí na nÓg showcased their amazing work from the past year and presented how they are giving voice to protecting the rights of young people, and informing decision makers countrywide of what is important to young people in Ireland.

Dr. Katherine Zappone T.D., Minister for Children and Youth Affairs gave the opening address and praised the work of all involved. Speaking at the event Minister Zappone said, “Young voices are key in deciding the future of our communities and our country. Through Comhairle na nÓg they are sending a message loud and clear – they want an Ireland which is equal, fair and just. We owe it to them to listen and to act. Every time I meet the members of Comhairle I feel confident about our future. They are not burying their hands in the sand – they are ready, willing and able to confront the many challenges in an uncertain world. These young people have worked hard to create a better, brighter future. I hope they are extremely proud of what they have achieved and, going forward, I am truly inspired by what I have seen and heard here today” the Minister concluded.

Tara Trevaskis-Hoskins, a young person in Comhairle na nÓg speaking at the event said “Community isn’t just about location – it’s about people. Community isn’t something physical, it’s an ideal, an attitude. We strive towards this way of living, a better way of living. I believe Comhairle echoes this. Comhairle represents community. Comhairle is community.”

Jordan McKenna another young person in Comhairle na nÓg also said “Being a member of the Dublin City Comhairle made me feel listened to as an individual and it feels good knowing that I have an impact on group decisions”.

You can download high-res versions of the photos from the day from our Flickr page below:

General photos of the day:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/105669397@N08/albums/72157704008200464

Group pics taken on arrival:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/105669397@N08/albums/72157676110256128

Closing Ceremony: presentation of certificates

https://www.flickr.com/photos/105669397@N08/albums/72157704116934094

COMHAIRLE SHOWCASE 2016:
The Comhairle na nÓg Showcase took place on Thursday November 24th 2016 in Croke Park. The purpose of this event is to present the work and topics each Comhairle has been working on over the past two years or more, and to showcase this work to relevant decision makers. Young people from Comhairle na nÓg are part of the Showcase Steering Committee and are involved in all major decisions about the format and running of every Showcase event. Each Comhairle had their own individual stand with brightly decorated display board – see photos below. The day was broken into four distinct parts: the showcase session in the morning, followed by the opening ceremony, where two young people from Dublin City and Mayo Comhairle na nÓg spoke about the impact of Comhairle, both personally and on their community. After lunch there was a workshop session, followed by a celebratory closing ceremony. The facilitation at workshops was carried out young people: one at each of the 45 workshop tables. You can read a report on the workshop findings here:
Report of the Workshop Discussions at the Comhairle na nOg Showcase 2016

You can download a copy of our Comhairle Guidebook here: comhairle-guidebook-2016 where you can read about the highlights and the great work carried out by each Comhairle over the past two years.

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Katherine Zappone gave a moving and inspirational address at the opening ceremony and was greeted by a standing ovation. We were delighted to show off to her and all participants our fantastic new video showcasing the work of each Comhairle from all over the country. And here it is:

Throughout 2016 we had two Steering Committee meetings with members of Cork City, Dublin City and Mayo Comhairle na nÓg which really helpful in planning the day, and in making some key decisions about opening and closing ceremonies, workshops, merchandise, MC and most importantly, food!!! This ensured that the event was truly youth-led.

Here are some pics from the day: the rest you can download from our Flickr page https://www.flickr.com/photos/105669397@N08/albums/72157675840287660

COMHAIRLE SHOWCASE 2014
The Comhairle na nÓg National Showcase 2014 took place in Croke Park on Thursday 20th November – an appropriate date, marking the 25th anniversary of the signing of the UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child), signifying that children and young people have rights in their own regard for the first time. This year’s Showcase theme centred on this and was a celebration of the rights and voice of children and young people. Speakers at the Opening Ceremony included An Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs James Reilly, Paul Gilligan, Chair of the Children’s Rights Alliance, and young people who spoke about what children’s rights mean to them and their experience of having their voices heard through Comhairle.

The purpose of this event is to present the work and topics each Comhairle has been working on over the past two years or more, and to showcase this work to relevant decision makers. A Comhairle Guidebook was produced for the event, with a page dedicated to each Comhairle, and the work they had been doing up to this point, as well as showcasing any highlights. Click on link below to download:

Comhairle Guidebook 2014

The young people also had the opportunity to participate in workshops and to discuss their experiences of having their voices heard in decisions affecting their lives. They voted on the aspect of lives of young people in which they most need a say. Education and School came out on top, receiving a massive 121 votes out of 419, suggesting that this is an issue of massive importance to young people. To read the report, click here:
Comhairle Showcase report 2014

In both 2012 and 2014 we put together a video-piece highlighting all of the terrific work going on around the country and the variety of topics being progressed. In 2014 we also had a video made on the actual day of the event which recorded all the elements of the day as they happened – see videos and some fantastic photos from the day below:

Showcase 2014 re-cap: footage shot on the day

Comhairle Showcase 2014: featuring the work of 34 Comhairlí na nÓg:

Showcase 2012: DVD

Images below and a wide selection of other images are available to download from our Flickr account: simply click on Flickr icon at the bottom of the page

Overall images of the day: 2014: