Minister McEntee announces Oíche na hÓige – a national celebration of youth work in our communities
- Published on: 15 October 2025
- Last updated on: 15 October 2025
Minister for Education and Youth Helen McEntee today (15 October) announced plans for Oíche na hÓige (‘Youth Night’) 2025, a new national event celebrating youth work, youth clubs, and young people across Ireland.
The event will take place on a pilot basis on Friday 21 November 2025 and will offer communities across Ireland an opportunity to come together to celebrate young people, youth clubs and services, and the youth workers and volunteers who make such a difference to the lives of hundreds of thousands of young people across Ireland.
On Oíche na hÓige, youth clubs and services across Ireland are invited to open their doors to the community, celebrating their members, youth workers and volunteers, while also raising awareness of the impact and value of youth work in local communities. The aim is to showcase the value that youth work brings to young people and the wider community.
Participants are encouraged to design a showcase event as a celebration and as a way of letting the wider community know what their club or service means to them, whether by inviting the public into their space or through other innovative means.
Oíche na hÓige is being supported under Opportunities for Youth, the national strategy for youth work and related services. Inspired by the success of events such as Culture Night and Open House, Dublin, Oíche na hÓige is a new celebration that shines a light on the vibrant and diverse network of youth clubs and services at the heart of communities across Ireland, where young people learn together, develop, and flourish. The event will help raise awareness of the great work being done in youth services and give them the recognition they truly deserve
The Department of Education and Youth will make funding available through the Education and Training Boards to help clubs and projects run events on Oíche na hÓige.
Minister McEntee said:
“I am delighted to announce Oíche na hÓige 2025, a new initiative to celebrate youth work and youth clubs, their members, their youth workers, and their volunteers, and to showcase the value that youth work brings to young people and the wider community. I encourage all eligible clubs and services, and their members, to take this opportunity to show their community what youth work means to them.”
Clubs and services funded under the Local Youth Club Grant Scheme or UBU Your Place Your Space scheme are invited to participate. More information for clubs and services will be available from their local ETB Youth Officer.
Notes to Editors
What is Oíche na hÓige?
On Oíche na hÓige (‘Youth Night’) participating youth clubs and services across Ireland will open their doors to the community, to celebrate members of youth clubs and groups, and their youth workers and volunteers, and to build awareness of youth work in your community. Oíche na hÓige aims to showcase the value that youth work brings to young people and the wider community, and to create opportunities for further integration of youth work and clubs within communities.
Participating clubs and services will invite the public into their space to learn about what youth work means. Participants are encouraged to design a showcase event as a celebration and as a way of letting the wider community know what their club or service means to them.
Oíche na hÓige is an initiative of the Department of Education and Youth delivered in partnership with the Education and Training Boards, the National Youth Council of Ireland and the youth work sector.
When will it take place?
Oíche na hÓige will take place on Friday 21 November.
Why is Oíche na hÓige happening?
Inspired by the success of events such as Culture Night and Open House, Dublin, Oíche na hÓige is a new celebration that shines a light on the vibrant and diverse network of youth clubs and services at the heart of communities across Ireland, where young people learn together, develop, and flourish. The event will help raise awareness of the great work being done in youth services and give them the recognition they truly deserve. Oíche na hÓige is supported under Opportunities for Youth: National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services 2024 - 2028.
This initiative aims to raise awareness about services and opportunities available in local communities. It highlights the positive impact youth work has on young people’s lives all across Ireland.
Who can host a Oíche na hÓige event?
The Department of Education and Youth will make funding available through the Education and Training Boards which clubs and projects can use to host Oíche na hÓige events.
Grant funding is available to help participating clubs with the costs of Oíche na hÓige, including:
- Food and drink.
- Music and equipment hire.
- Materials.
- Displays.
- Entertainment.
- Other event costs.
Promotional costs including media, video, photography and printing, including preparation of materials prepared ahead of Oíche na hÓige.
Youth clubs funded under the Local Youth Club Grant Scheme can apply for grants up to €500 to fund Oíche na hÓige Youth Night activities.
Youth services funded under UBU Your Place Your Space can apply for grants up to €1,200 to fund Oíche na hÓige Youth Night activities.
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