Comhairle na nÓg

Comhairle Na nÓg are child and youth councils in the 31 local authorities of the country, which give children and young people the opportunity to be involved in the development of local services and policies. In light of the fact that Comhairle Na nÓg is for young people under the age of 18 and who therefore have no other voting mechanism to have their voice heard, Comhairle Na nÓg is designed to enable young people to have a voice on the services, policies and issues that affect them in their local area. Carlow Comhairle meets once a week to work on various issues on behalf of all the young people in Carlow.

What Do We Do?

Comhairle na nÓg were working on Body imagining and social media for 2023 / 2024 and the effects that it has on young people. We work on a few more Podcast called “Tru You”, and this related around our topic.

Our Tru You Podcast can be found on Spotify

There were 15 members and we met every two (2) weeks on a Friday after school.

We now currently have 22 Comhairlí members and this year our topic has now changed and we look at Facilities for Young People in Carlow Town and Carlow County, and this work has already begun, helping Bagenalstown Co. Carlow and Carlow County Council with a survey and see what some of the Young people of Bagenalstown need and what in their public areas.

As part of Comhairlí we get so many opportunities to go to other events and outings. In the last year we have had the fun of

Four (4) members attended Dáil na nÓg 2024, which is held in Leinster House, Dublin.
Eleven (11) members got to attend the National Showcase 2025 in Dublin castle along with the 30 other Comhairlí from around the country
We also held our AGM in the Seven Oaks Hotel where we had almost 80 young people attend from around the County and voted on what the topic should be for 2025.
Members got to attend regular meetings in the Town Hall, with various members of Carlow County Council, and other National bodies.

Quotes From Our Young People

I joined Comhairle two years ago and it was one of the best choices I’ve made. I have learned so much about how a council works and a lot about important topics like discrimination and body issues. I have met so many fun and interesting people and made so many lifelong friends from it. – Arrow

I have been in Comhairle for a short time but I have enjoyed it so far. I was able to discuss my autism in an open manner. I was able to learn about body dismorphia. I was able to record my very first tik-tok ever and I received a free hoodie. I enjoyed all of these and would love to stay here for a while now. – James

I joined Comhairle last year after attending the AGM. When I joined Comhairle I was very socially anxious and I was honestly quite quiet and reserved. I didn’t like speaking to or in front of people I didn’t know. I went to Comhairle with my friends with the intentions of never coming back, but seeing how the other Comhairle people interacted with each other and how close they were I was compelled to come back. Being a Comhairle member has improved my self-confidence. I speak better in public, contribute more in class am generally a more friendly person. – Molly

I’m a member of Carlow Comhairle na nÓg. When I saw the Dáil na nÓg event last March, I immediately knew I had to sign up. Ever since my first meeting, I have made so many new friends and got to do so many amazing things! As part of Comhairle, I was consulted for the Carlow Children and Young People’s Plan 2024-2026, where I got to have a say in what could be improved in Carlow for youth. I also took part in a Regional Networking Event held in the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, where I got to meet loads of new people from different Comhairlí around Leinster, and have a safe in which problems are affecting youth in Leinster the most, such as public transport and exam stress. Even though sometimes I can’t make meetings because of doing other things, the best thing about Comhairle is that there’s no pressure to be at every meeting, and everyone can take things at their own pace. Overall I have zero regrets in joining Comhairle and I really recommend that you join it! – Ódhran

Comhairle na nÓg has been a great experience for me, one of the benefits that have really stood out to me is the ability to connect with people my age and older. Since I’ve joined Comhairle, I have noticed that I have begun getting more comfortable speaking to people, which I have struggled with for a long time. Comhairle has also given me the chance to speak about topics that I care about and share my opinions on important social matters and issues. Comhairle has been a supportive community and is helping me to come out of my shell. – Áine

After joining Comhairle I have achieved my Goals but i also Have Made Quality Friends who are actively working for others and it Improved my knowledge and my ability to learn and hear Other points of view which Increased my Empathy towards people and improved my ability to put myself into people’s shoes, it was an absolutely wonderful experience filled with purpose. Helping young people. – Malek