Lord Mayor Cllr. Kieran McCarthy with Clíona Harte and members of Cork Figure Skating Association. Photo by Claire Keogh, 2024
Cork City Council, in conjunction with Creative Ireland, today May 29th, announced the Cruinniú na Óg Cork City Programme, featuring over 40 free interactive and imaginative events for young people on Saturday, June 15th. All over Cork City a series of fun and creative events suitable for young people of all ages, from the very young to 18-year-olds, will take place.
The Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Kieran McCarthy, said
“On this wonderful occasion of Cruinniú na nÓg, Cork City is proud to join the national celebration dedicated to the boundless creativity of our young people. By fostering creativity, we are nurturing the next generation of artists, innovators, and thinkers who will continue to enrich our vibrant community. I encourage all young people and their families to participate on 15th June and discover the joy and inspiration that creativity brings."
Cruinniú na nÓg offers an incredible opportunity for the children of Cork to explore their imaginations and express their unique talents.
Creative Ireland has teamed up with Rhyme Island and GMC Beats to inspire every young person in Ireland to start rapping. Songwriting, rap, and recording workshops led by Garry McCarthy (@gmcbeats) and the @thekabinstudio team are being held nationwide under the @rhymeisland initiative. As part of Cruinniú na nÓg, "Rock the Block", a massive day of youth rap, music workshops, and music sessions, will take place at the GMC Beats Kabin Studio in Knocknaheeny. Check out "The Spark" video, a hit for Cruinniú na nÓg featuring rappers from The Kabin Studio in Cork and Lisdoonvarna, which has gone viral online!
The Circus Factory is hosting “Cirque na nÓg”, a family fun day of workshops and performances at Elizabeth Fort. Enjoy juggling, hula hoop, spinning plates and flower sticks Circus Workshops, along with Circus Shows and walk about performers.
You can immerse yourself into the world of film making with the Cork International Film Festival, learn how to draw wildlife in UCC, participate in Music Bingo at Cork Opera House, view a Teenage Film Poetry Showcase in the City Library, or follow a Children’s Engineers Trail in the Old Cork Waterworks Experience. The opportunities to be creative are endless, and it is all free!
Cruinniú na nÓg is all about trying something new and the festival features a series of interactive workshops for young people of all ages. Writer Ian Wild, who has had over 20 children’s stories broadcast on RTE Radio One is giving an Imaginative Writers Workshop for teenagers, while Billy Lingwood will show young people how to experiment with cyanotype printmaking at St. Peter’s.
A range of arts, crafts, story, and play experiences will also take place in libraries across the city, suitable for younger kids. Take a step back in time with this year’s Tools of the Trade Exhibition talk and tour and rediscover the traditional craft of Butter Making with a live demonstration with the Butter Museum in the Civic Offices in Cork City Hall.
For the first time, the Cruinniú na nÓg Programme in Cork will include a series of late-night events. Beginning at 6.30pm in the Circus Factory, prepare to be transported back in time through circus and sound into the legend of Fionn Mac Chumhall with performers from Circus Factory Cork and musicians from Music Generation Cork City Mahon Community Pop Academy. Cork’s first outdoor Roller Disco will take place at 7pm in the Central Hall in Marina Park and will feature music by local DJs and demonstrations by Cork Figure Skating Association. The disco is open to everyone; all you need to do is bring your skates!
Cruinniú na nÓg Cork City: lots of venues, multiple events, especially for youth. ALL FREE!
For booking details, times and information visit Event Details - Cork City Council
29/05/2024
This year Cruinniú na nÓg will take place on Saturday 15th June and will feature more than 1000 free creative activities for children and young people throughout the island. The theme this year is Dare to Create and Creative Ireland is calling on all young people to get creative, try something new and show off their skills.
Cruinniú na Óg 2024 will host hundreds of free creative events for young people, including an aerial arts programme for deaf youth in Dublin, all the craic agus ceol of a Rambling House performance in County Clare, an Eras dance party in Waterford, a Battle of the Bands in Cloughjordan, Tipperary, pottery classes in Leitrim, family art exchanges between Mayo and Armagh, heritage stone mason and gilding classes in Offaly and so much more.
To find a listing for Cruinniú na nÓg event near you please click here .
For the first time, the programme will include a series of late night events for young people. Cruinniú Late includes a play created and performed within 24 hours in the crypt of the Waterford Museum, a Rocky Horror Picture Show screening and dance off in Limerick, silent discos in Dun Laoghaire and Offaly, and an open mic night at the comedy club in South Dublin.
As part of the Shared Island-dimension of the Creative Ireland Programme, events are scheduled which will bring communities together across the island. These include a Deep Dive Game Jam where young people from Wexford and Belfast will join together to explore the shared environmental issues, Convergence will explore the importance of cultural connection, diversity and pride of place in Derry and Tallaght and there will be twinning events between youth centres in Belfast and Dublin.
To read the full press release with more information from Dept. of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht Sport & Media, visit gov - Cruinniú na nÓg 2024 launches over 1,000 free creative activities for young people (www.gov.ie)
22/05/2024
Pictured left to right: Ciara Curtain, musician and Cork City Cruinniú na nÓg Ambassador with Aoife and Liam. Photo by Darragh Kane, 2023
Cork City Council in conjunction with Creative Ireland, today (May 24th) announced their Cruinniú na Óg Cork City Programme with over 40 free interactive and imaginative events for young people taking place in Cork on Saturday June 10. Over 40 cultural partners will host creative events suitable for young people of all ages from the very young right up to 18 years of olds in locations all over Cork City.
The Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr. Deirdre Forde remarked “It is wonderful to see more organisations and venues getting involved in Cruinniú na nÓg to support diversity and the voice of the child through workshops, performances, screenings, talks and exhibitions. I am especially delighted to welcome young people from all over the island to the new outdoor stage at Elizabeth Fort as part of the Rhyme Island initiative!”
Cruinniú na nÓg is all about trying something new and a wide range of interactive workshops for young people of all ages will take place.
As part of Cruinniú na nÓg, experience how much fun it is to read a poem out loud with the Munster Literature Centre and Nano Nagle Place, dance outdoors with New Moon Dance Company, discover clay hand-building with Shandon Art Studio, and try out your drama skills with UCC Youth Theatre.
The Circus Factory are hosting a Circus Skills Class where young people can try circus tricks such as spinning plates, juggling, hula hooping, and balancing while a Cave Art Workshop is taking place in The Glucksman.
A wonderful day of youth music making and creativity will take place at Rock the Block in Elizabeth Fort with a host of music workshops including songwriting, rap and traditional music for young people. There will also be live performances featuring groups including Creative Tradition, Music Mash Up, Foróíge Link Point Knocknaheeny, Mahon Youth Development Project, UBU, The Hut Youth Project CDYS, Mahon Community Pop Academy, Mahon Community Concert Band, and Cork Academy of Music.
A range of arts, crafts, story, play experiences, exhibitions and competitions will take place in libraries across the city. Enjoy family friendly play activities in Ballincollig Library, trace your ancestors in Mayfield Library and take part in an art workshop and reading of the book The 13 Storey Treehouse in Blackpool Library. To celebrate Cruinniú na nÓg, parks and libraries in Cork City are hosting a special Poetry Jukebox featuring poetry by young writers installed in parks around the city. Scan the QR Codes and listen to the poems!
Family friendly tours will take place during Cruinniú na nÓg at Crawford Art Gallery, The Everyman and, for Ukrainian families, at The Butter Museum. Dance Cork -Firkin Crane offer an insight into dance.
Triskel Arts Centre are screening the animation film Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were Rabbit and there is a special screening of youth productions hosted by The Everyman Theatre Making and Citizenship Programme with Rebel Youth Creatives.
Young people aged 12+ are invited to join Rebel Youth Media and train up in advance to document the day. For those who can’t attend Cruinniú na nÓg, a wide range of pre-recorded events will also be available online with offerings from Cork International Film Festival, Crawford Art Gallery and spinning plate tutorials courtesy of ISACS. Pick up plates to spin from your local library!
The Tools of the Trade Exhibition, which gives an insight into behind-the-scenes of workplaces in the city, will take place in The Atrium in Cork City Council. Primary School classes for 9-12 years are invited to take part in exhibition tours and talks after Cruinniú na nÓg from 12th-16th June followed by hands on workshops at City Hall as part of Tools of the Trade S.T.E.A.M. programme.
40+ Free Events for young people, 40+ Cultural Partners, Cruinniú na nÓg Cork City, June 10
For booking details, times and information see
www.corkcity.ie/cnn
For further information contact
Eimear O’Brien, Lunasa PR, 086 8900364/ eimear@lunasapr.ie
01/06/2022
Click here for more information and to download entry forms!
18/05/2022
Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Colm Kelleher said
“Cork City Council is privileged and delighted to host Cruinniú na nÓg; an entire day of free creative activities for youth. Children and young people bring so much vitality, inspiration and joy to our city. On 11th June, we celebrate their self-expression and demonstrate our commitment to their creative development.”
Cruinniú na nÓg will host a wide range of events in Cork suitable for young people of all ages from the very young right up to 18 years of age. The full programme of events is available on www.corkcity.ie/cnn and the majority of events will be live and in person. With over 39 Cork cultural partners taking part in Cruinniú na nÓg, there is so much to choose from!
Music Generation Cork City are holding a day of music making for young people which will feature podcasting, music, song writing workshops and live performances from young Music Generation musicians. Taking inspiration from the ships featured in the Port of Cork Collection Exhibition, The Crawford Art Gallery and the Brickx Club are encouraging young people to come into the Gallery and to build ships out of lego!
Circus Factory are asking young people to try out their circus skills and to walk along a tight wire! Andrea Williams is hosting a fantastic workshop in St Peter’s Cork which will feature hip hop, Latino and African dances. Shandon Arts Studios are hosting a pottery workshop while Framework Films are giving young people the opportunity to discover what it is like to be in front and behind the camera.
Nano Nagle Place and the Munster Literature Centre are asking children to express themselves through poetry and to take part in a poetry workshop facilitated by poet Niamh O’Connell while the Everyman are giving teenagers the opportunity to perform on stage as part of a Theatre Making Workshop.
If you have ever wanted to learn how to write a traditional Irish tune, don’t miss the Cork Academy of Music Traditional Irish Music Workshop. No experience is needed and you don’t need to own an instrument!
Arts Officer and Creative Ireland Coordinator Cork City, Michelle Carew said
“Cruinniú na nÓg Cork City 2022 is an opportunity for all children and young people to take to the stage, the street or the studio to make, perform, experiment and share. Together with our cultural and arts partners, we look forward to facilitating their creativity and supporting their dreams.”
Cruinniú na nÓg caters for all ages including the very young. Facilitated by artists Helga Deasy and Grace Kiely, Paper Play in Graffitti Theatre is a captivating sensory play activity for babies and children up to three years. Helium Arts are hosting a family fun day of creativity for younger children where they can get creative with clay, treasure and stencils while The Glucksman are offering an outdoor art and nature workshop for children about the trees and plants found in University College Cork. A
Pop-Up Dance by New Moon Dance Company supported by Dance Ireland is not to be missed as is the screening of Wolfwalkers in the Triskel Arts Centre. Exhibitions can be found in the windows of Cork City Council’s Atrium thanks to Tools of the Trade and in library branches across the city including A City Rising by Young Critics and Curators at Sample Studios. Children and teenagers can get a taste of youth theatre at UCC and Graffiti Theatre and Cork Printmakers invites everyone to drop by for a live print demo.
For those who can’t attend Cruinniú na nÓg, a wide range of pre-recorded and live events will also be available online. Hosted by Cork Migrant Centre, Raphael Olympio is giving a music and creative writing workshop where young people can learn how to write a poem and a song. Cork International Film Festival are screening a selection of short films and hosting a talk with a guest filmmaker while Basher Bacon from the Munster Literature Centre is reading ten original poems written by school children aged 9 to 12 especially for Cruinniú na nÓg. ISACs teams up with young circus performers to offer online juggling lessons.
04/05/2022
On Wednesday 4th May at Killruddery House and Gardens, Co. Wicklow, Catherine Martin TD, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, announced all the exciting details of Cruinniú na nÓg 2022, a one-of-a-kind day of free creative activity for young people.
The only event of its kind in the world, Cruinniú na nÓg 2022 is a collaboration between the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, the Creative Ireland Programme, local authorities and RTÉ.
Announcing Cruinniú na nÓg 2022, Minister Martin said:
“Since 2018, Cruinniú na nÓg has become a key date in Ireland’s cultural calendar. It has provided wonderful opportunities for Ireland’s 1.2 million children and young people to try something new like circus skills, animation, perform at live music gigs, explore contemporary dance, showcase new work through youth theatre and so much more. All events are free.
This year we are delighted that most of the events will be live and in person. Alongside the events planned by our strategic partners – Dance Ireland, Garageland, Irish Street Arts, Circus and Spectacle Network (ISACS), Nenagh Children’s Film Festival, Youth Theatre Ireland and the Historic Houses of Ireland – we have more than 450 events programmed by local authorities in venues around the country. We are so thrilled that the restrictions of the last two years are behind us and that this year everyone can join together to be creative, express themselves and have fun.”
For more information about the upcoming events and ambassadors, follow this link.
Download full press releases here in english and here in Irish.