Kildare County Council Launches 2025 Cruinniú na nÓg Programme 

20/05/2025

Unleashing Creativity:  Kildare County Council’s 2025 Cruinniú na nÓg Programme 

Kildare County Council is excited to share the details of the 2025 Cruinniú na nÓg programme, the national day dedicated to creativity for children and young people.  This year’s programme offers a diverse range of free workshops, performances and creative events across County Kildare throughout May and early June, culminating in the nationwide celebration on Saturday 7^th June. 

Programme Highlights 

On June 7^th, Kildare County Council’s library branches will transform into creative hubs featuring:   

• Exciting music workshops in Athy and Clane 

• Nature crafts in Ballitore and Kilcullen 

• Creative story time in Celbridge and Monasterevin  

• Messy sensory play in Naas and Kildare Town 

• Creative science workshops in Leixlip and Kilcock 

• Sewing and suncatchers in Clocha Rince and Rathangan  

• Intro to Crochet workshops in Castledermot  

• Illustrated lettering and word art in Newbridge 

• And more! 

From 28^th May to 7^th June, families in Maynooth can pick up a Heritage Hunters! Map and art kit from Maynooth Library and embark on a creative treasure hunt to discover local gems and win prizes.  

The MERITS Innovation Thinkspace in Naas will host Igniting Young Minds: Tech Entrepreneurs in the Making! – a series of dynamic, hands-on digital workshops designed to spark curiosity, creativity, and entrepreneurial thinking for ages 8-16.  Workshops will include podcasting, content creation, and more. 

 An evening celebration of creative teen voices will take place in Naas Library and Cultural Centre at 6pm on June 7^th, with a Teen Poetry Slam and Film Screening. This event will feature performances by up-and-coming Kildare poets and musicians, along with a new film created by InSync Youth Service Junior Board and their peers.  Teens can sign up for free spoken word workshops this May at Naas and Kilcock libraries, led by professional poets David Hynes, Annie Peter and Anna D, with a chance to perform their original poems at the June 7^th event.

Riverbank Arts Centre will also be a hub of teen creativity, with Wonder Walls leading mural making workshops on Saturdays May 18^th and June 7^th.  Young people interested in comics and illustrations can sign up for COMIC QUEST workshops, led by professional illustrator Kate Escolin on May 22^nd, 29^th and June 7^th, with a chance to exhibit their creations afterwards. 

Additional creative projects in the community: 

• Play Acting Youth Theatre in Celbridge will host three Introduction to Puppetry workshops starting May 31^st.  

• Curragh Family Resource Centre welcomes children to their “Little Chefs” creative cooking course every Wednesday afternoon, up to 4^th June.  

• Cub Club creative dance and art workshops will be hosted by Monasterevin Parent, Toddler and Baby Group on Wednesday mornings at 10am.  

• Wild Kids Forest School welcomes the children of Bishopsland Homework Club to the Irish National Stud & Gardens, for Art in Nature workshops on June 7^th. 

• Foróige will host Introduction to DJing and beat-making workshops in Rosconnell Community Centre, Newbridge. 

For young creatives eager to explore the wonders of nature, Kildare County Council’s Heritage and Nature Team have collaborated with Dúlra Forest School, YouthINK, and LAWPRO to develop a creative arts and sciences programme exploring the themes of biodiversity and climate change. Children aged 5-12 can sign up for Dúlra’s Waterways Alive workshops starting on May 17^th in Rathangan, to discover the biodiversity of local waterways through hands-on creative activities. In April, teenagers from YouthINK were mentored by a range of artists, climate scientists, and custodians of the River Liffey, to make performance and visual art engaged with local waterways. A public exhibition of the young people’s creative responses will be launched in Athy Community Arts Centre on June 7^th for all to discover. 

Children eager to explore their creativity as gaeilge can sign up for bi-lingual activities delivered in both English and Irish. These include the Waterways Alive workshops in Rathangan, Wild Art: Nature Crafts in Ballitore Library, Creative Storytime in Monasterevin Library, Make a Mechanical Hand workshop in Kilcock Library, and the Heritage Hunters trail in Maynooth.  

The Cruinniú na nÓg programme also includes ‘This is Art!’, Ireland’s national young people’s art competition supported by RTÉ. Artworks created by young artists from Kildare will be exhibited on screens across Kildare Library Service, as part of a nationwide effort to be Ireland’s ‘largest gallery’ of young people’s art. 

All events are free, however, many require advance booking. For full details and booking, visit https://cruinniu.creativeireland.gov.ie/events/location/kildare/