Cruinniú na nÓg 2025 – Roscommon
Join us on Saturday, June 7th for Cruinniú na nÓg, Ireland’s national day of free creative activities for young people! Roscommon is bursting with exciting workshops, performances, and hands-on fun for all ages – from music and poetry to sculpture, a creativity festival, and more. Come celebrate creativity and imagination in your community!
✨View the full downloadable programme of events here: Cruinniú na nÓg-2025-Programme ✨
Videography and/or photography will be taking place at events.
Keep scrolling for full details on all our events
Roscommon Events:
Roscommon Town Music Hub
As a late but welcome addition tow our programme the bands of Music Generation Roscommon will transform the Roscommon Town Square into a Music Hub with an open air concert for Cruinniú na nÓg.
This outdoor performance will feature a collection of bands ready to strut their stuff on stage and showcase their outrageous talents
No booking required just come along and enjoy the show.
Venue: The Square, Roscommon Town, Co. Roscommon, F42 X803.
Time: 1pm-2pm
No Booking Required
Age Range: Suitable for all ages
Ballaghaderreen Foróige Showcase
Working on creative skills all year, this Foróige group are ready to show you what they have learned and some of their favourite creative things to do as they showcase their work so far. Ballaghaderreen Foróige group have been acting as a youth voice panel for Roscommon Creative Ireland Programme, to hear what young people want FROM YOUNG PEOPLE. As part of their role they have been trying taster sessions of numerous creative activities. Poetry, Baking, Creative Writing, Photography, Circus Skills and much more have been explored. We'll be looking for them to tell us their favourite activities, what they want more of and what they didn't enjoy too and that will all feed into future programming. For this year's Cruinniú na nÓg they will be exhibiting some of the activities, their pieces and images of their work. There may even be recipes they will share too as they become expert breadmakers.
Venue: Phoenix Centre, Cathedral St, Ballaghaderreen, Co. Roscommon, F45 K4C8
Time: 11am-1pm
No Booking Required
Age Range: Suitable for all ages
Cyanotype Printing Workshop
Join us for a fun and creative workshop where you’ll be introduced to the fascinating Cyanotype printing technique from the 19th century. This alternative photo process utilises sunlight, or UV light, to create striking cyan blue images that are developed in water.
In addition to exploring the history of cyanotype, we will experiment with printing various objects, such as flowers, leaves, feathers, and lace, among others. Participants are encouraged to bring their own small flat items, like a toy or ornaments, to experiment with.
All necessary materials will be provided, and everyone will leave with their own unique pieces of art they have created!
Venue: Moore Hall, Lakelands, Ballydangan, Co. Roscommon, N37 HT68
Time: 12pm-2pm (9-12yrs), 2.30pm-4.30pm (12-14yrs)
Booking Required: Email Clare: cdm.mindfulmaking@gmail.com
Age Range: 9-14yrs
A Word in Your Shell-Like
Join artist Martin Heron as he explores the creativity of making shell shaped structures.
Martin will guide you through producing your own small paper shell art work that can be taken home to display. A meaningful note, message or a word can be written inside. Maybe a message to your future self, a remembered dream or what was the best day ever!
All materials will be provided
Venue: King House, Boyle, Co. Roscommon, F52 WR26
Time: 2pm-4pm
Booking Required: Email: creativeireland@roscommoncoco.ie
Age Range: 10+yrs
Laugh Out Loud - A Comedy Workshop for Young Creatives
Comedian Cathal Shanagher will guide you through all the tips and techniques you will need to enter the world of comedy. Learn about improvisation, performance, self-expression and the art of humour.
Junior Comedy Crew (ages 9-12) will show you the ropes with character play, improv exercises and fun storytelling to spark creativity.
Teen Comedy Club (ages 13-18) will feature stand-up basics, character development, comedic timing and collaborative sketch writing followed by an open mic night to showcase your new talents.
Venue: King House, Boyle, Co. Roscommon, F52 WR26
Time: 11.30am-2.30pm (9-12yrs), 3.30pm-6.30pm (13-18yrs), Open Mic 7pm-8.30pm
Booking Required: Email: creativeireland@roscommoncoco.ie
Age Range: 9-18yrs
Sculpting In Clay
This 3-hour workshop, with expert artist Jacqueline Duignan, will guide participants through the steps to creating a self-portrait bust maquette sculpture, primarily aimed at 15-18 year olds, who are interested in experimenting with clay. Using phone-cameras and mirrors, a series of drawings will be produced. Participants will then create a small self-portrait head in clay, referencing their drawings. Self-hardening clay and modelling tools will be provided. Places are limited.
Venue: Studio 1, Grounds of King House, Boyle, Co. Roscommon, F52 WR26
Time: 12pm-3pm
Booking Required: Email: creativeireland@roscommoncoco.ie
Age Range: 15-18yrs
Global Neighbours & Connecting Communities
Castlerea Family Resource Centre will be connecting the new communities of the area, through creativity. Young people will create signs, demonstrating the distance between Castlerea and young people’s native places. The target group will be new communities, who have moved to Castlerea and those living in private and/or IPAS Centres and the local community.
Young people will work together to design and create wooden signs, which will be placed in the local Demesne, for local people to gain an understanding of how far away from home some of the families now living in our area, are.
This event will be supported by local tradesmen, who will have some work completed but the main fun part for young people will involve the design, decorating and erecting of signs
Venue: Castlerea Community & Family Resource Centre, Castlerea, Co. Roscommon, F45 K282
Time: 4pm-9pm
Booking Required: Phone Tetiana: 083 080 6232
Age Range: 12-15yrs
Colouring Cloontuskert
A series of workshops will take place with the students of Cloontuskert NS during the month of May, with visual artist Sophie Carroll Hunt, to develop a vibrant outdoor mural on an exposed area of the school garden.
The piece will be child-led and the content will be designed from their ideas, linking with the themes of nature and biodiversity, an area that the students and school are invested in and wish to build on.
The mural will be officially launched for Cruinniú na nÓg
Venue: Cloontuskert NS, Cloontuskert, Lanesboro, Co. Roscommon, N39 AT80
Time: 2pm
No Booking Required
Age Range: Suitable for all ages
African Rhythms & Samba Beats at Croghan NS
Students from Croghan NS will participate in workshops led by African percussionist, Barra O’Flannaigh on May 23rd. During these sessions, they will explore rhythm and melody by recalling, answering and inventing simple patterns using their voices, body percussion and various instruments.
Throughout June, the school will have access to Samba drums, allowing students to immerse themselves in South American beats during school hours, as they prepare for the Cruinniú na nÓg event. As part of this preparation, they will also design and create their own percussion drums.
On Saturday, June 7th, at 12 pm, the students will showcase their skills in a special 1-hour workshop, where they will be joined by members of the Carrick-on-Shannon Samba Band. Together, they will perform the rhythms they have learned, using their handmade drums, alongside traditional Samba instruments such as surdos, bells, snares, and tambourines
Venue: Croghan NS, Croghan, Carrowmore, Boyle, Co. Roscommon, F52 NH72
Time: 12pm-1pm
No Booking Required
Age Range: Suitable for all ages
Creative Nature at Knockvicar Organic Garden
Join us for Cruinniú na nÓg 2025 - a day celebrating youth creativity across the country at the wonderful Knockvicar Organic Garden, in a workshop suitable for 7-11 year-olds.
We will explore our wildlife, through taxidermy and herbarium specimens of our local flora and fauna.
This affords us rare proximity to shy creatures but notorious characters!
We will work in simple clay and charcoal activities, to learn and appreciate the nature we are lucky enough to share space with. Booking through this form, places limited, so get your place early!
Venue: Knockvicar Organic Garden, Knockvicar, Boyle, Co. Roscommon, F52 YA44
Time: 1.30pm-3pm
Booking Required: Via: https://lu.ma/bwjw0eie
Age Range: 7-11yrs
Basking Workshop with Tom Meskall
Become an artist as part of this year’s Cruinniú na nÓg celebrations at Roscommon Arts Centre!
Join artist Tom Meskell as he creates a stunning new exhibition, "Basking", as part of our Visual Arts exhibition programme.
We’re inviting local young people and families to join one of our making sessions. Your work will feature as part of the exhibition which opens Friday 13th June, which you are invited to.
"Basking" is a celebration of both the resilience of nature and the power of community.
The exhibition will feature a life-sized lantern sculpture of a basking shark, surrounded by over 60 shell-like lantern structures, all crafted from willow and tissue paper and lit from within. Featuring a soundscape by renowned artists Colm Ó Snodaigh and Brian Hogan.
Venue: Roscommon Arts Centre, Circular Road, Roscommon, Co. Roscommon F42 YX61
Time:
Session 1: Capacity: 20 - 11.30am-12 noon
Session 2: Capacity 20 - 12.30pm-1pm
Session 3: Capacity 20 - 1.30pm-2pm
Session 4 - Capacity 20 - 2.30pm-3pm
Booking Required: Register here https://roscommonartscentre.ie/event/basking-workshops
Age Range: 6+yrs
Exploring Poetry - Siarscéal at Cruinniú
Exploring Poetry workshop at Roscommon Library, June 7th from 11am to 1pm with Mary Branley, poet and Creative Coordinator of Siarscéal Festival for young people aged 13+. This workshop is an introduction to writing poetry. We will explore writing in a relaxed and supportive way. We will be comparing prose and what makes a poem and how to concentrate language and emotion into a word experience.
If you enjoy creative writing, this workshop will be a taste of things to come for Siarscéal Festival 2025.
This workshop is suitable for young creatives with sensitivities to sound and light, with frequent breaks available.
Venue: Roscommon Library, Abbeytown, Roscommon, Co. Roscommon, F42 RP49
Time: 11am-1pm
Booking Required: Via: https://roscommon.spydus.ie/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/ENQ/WPAC/EVSESENQ?SETLVL=&RNI=19040562
Age Range: 13-18yrs
Paper Towns & Play
Storytelling Drama Workshops - with Roscommon Arts Centre Artist in Residence Diarmúid Woods
Join theatre-maker, director, and drama facilitator Diarmúid Woods, who will turn storytelling into an adventure!
Rooted in Lecoq-inspired training, he brings immersive, playful experiences to young people, making drama a space for creativity, confidence and connection.
His workshops ignite imaginations, break boundaries and turn ideas into living, breathing worlds.
With a knack for devising dynamic, hands-on workshops, Diarmuid transforms ordinary spaces into realms of possibility.
Whether through movement, improvisation, or world-building exercises, he empowers young people to take risks, collaborate and discover the magic of theatre. His approach is energetic, inclusive and always driven by the joy of play.
Workshop Capacity: 15
Venue: Roscommon Arts Centre, Circular Road, Roscommo, Co. Roscommon F42 YX61
Time: 3pm-5.30pm
Booking Required: Register here https://roscommonartscentre.ie/event/paper-towns-and-play-storytelling-drama-workshop/
Age Range: 14-18yrs
RCYT Juniors Showcase
Come and be amazed by the talent of our Roscommon County Youth Theatre Juniors!
We’re hosting an end-of-term sharing of their work, a vibrant celebration of youth, fun and the magic of theatre. As part of Cruinniú na nÓg, we’re opening our doors to share the incredible achievements of our young performers. Celebrate their brilliance with us!
Venue: Roscommon Arts Centre, Circular Road, Roscommon, Co. Roscommon F42 YX61
Time: 1pm-2pm
Booking Required: Register Here: https://roscommonartscentre.ie/event/sharing-of-new-work-by-roscommon-county-youth-theatre-juniors/
Age Range: Suitable for all ages
ReSounds: Turning Broken Instruments into Art
Members of Monksland Youth Café are making use of broken instruments.
Working with a local artist as part of the Roscommon Youth Service, a stunning artwork has been created and will be proudly unveiled this Cruinniú at GRETB building in Roscommon Town.
Venue: GRETB, Lanesboro St., Roscommon, Co. Roscommon F42 NA72
Time: 10am-11.30am
No Booking Required:
Age Range: Suitable for all ages
Song Tales Sa Spéir
Ceol Connected is one of Ireland's leading live music production companies for children.
Get ready for an outdoor live music extravaganza like no other, when they bring their SongTales sa Spéir experience to Roscommon Arts Centre!
With music and singalong songs performed by some of Ireland’s finest musicians, you can look forward to a wonderfully-interactive show that will have children and families hooked.
You might even hear a tale or two!
No registration required - this event will take place in front of the Arts Centre. You and your family are welcome to bring seats, blankets, snacks and your dancing shoes.
Venue: Roscommon Arts Centre, Circular Road, Roscommon, Co. Roscommon F42 YX61
Time: 2pm-2.45pm
No Booking Required.See https://roscommonartscentre.ie/ for more
Age Range: 4-8yrs
Sound, String, Sculpture
Join Music Generation Roscommon for a performance of newly created music that the Ability Group and Roscommon Youth Orchestra have developed using technology and instruments.
You will also have the chance to experience a demo and taster session with sound beam technology and string instruments.
Their experts will be there to show you the ropes. If that wasn’t enough this event will also host the unveiling of the new ReSounds sculpture created by Monksland Youth Café.
Venue: GRETB, Lanesboro St., Roscommon, Co. Roscommon F42 NA72
Time: 10am-11.30am
No Booking Required:
Age Range: Suitable for all ages
FunFest: Creativity at Play
FUNFEST ‘Creativity at Play’ returns to the Walled Gardens of Strokestown Park, Co. Roscommon, on Saturday June 7th, as part of Cruinniú na nÓg 2025.
A children’s festival of creativity, self-expression, and inspiration, where all children are invited with their families to escape into a wonderland of fun and creativity.
Activities on the day include dance parties, magic shows with RTÉ Jr's ‘Joe The Magician’, story-telling, nature crafts, lego workshops, science, sports, circus performers, face-painting, sensory play, baby-bopping and much more!
FUNFEST is proud to say that, at the heart of our programme of events, is inclusion accessibility for ALL. On the day we will have a Sensory Zone available for children who may need time to chill out and recharge.
There will be food and beverage vendors on-site in the Walled Gardens – as no festival is complete without good food!
While this is a FREE event, booking in advance is essential!
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Venue: Strokestown Park House & Gardens, Bawn St, Strokestown, Co. Roscommon, F42 H282
Time: 12pm-5pm
Booking Required: Via:https://strokestownpark.ie/events/
Age Range: 0-10yrs
Making Myths & Shadows-Strokestown Youth Theatre
Enchanted Croí Theatre is delighted to facilitate the beginning of "Strokestown's Youth Theatre" in 2025, as part of Cruinniú na nÓg. The Theatre will pilot this year, geared to create, for two different age groups: 9-13 year olds and 14-18 year olds, each group will be limited to 20 young performers.
Over 6 weeks, participants will engage in theatre workshops, to prepare a devised performance entitled "Making Myths and Shadows", which will be a special Cruinniú Late event, in celebration of our local community and its talented young people.
Central to this project is the collaborative creation of a devised theatre-piece, drawing inspiration form local mythology and storytelling, where the youth ensemble will infuse these timeless narratives from a contemporary perspective, with opportunities to explore movement, dance and song.
The workshops and creation of the new theatre-piece will culminate in a performance for Cruinniú Late on 7th June, at Strokestown Ballroom in The Percy French Hotel, which has kindly been donated for use by hotel management.
Auditions took place on April 17th Email: enchantedcroitheatre@gmail.com if you need further info on participation.
Venue: Percy French Hotel, Strokestown, Co. Roscommon, F42 A996
Time: 8pm
Booking Required: Final Performance on Cruinniú night, you must book your seat by emailing enchantedcroitheatre@gmail.com
Age Range: 12-18yrs
Willow and Weave Crafty Creations
Children at Woodbrook NS will engage in hands-on willow-weaving workshops in the run up to Cruinniú na nÓg and they can't wait to showcase their work on the 7th June!
Guided by Helena Golden, Willow Woman, https://helenagoldenwillow.ie/ the students will create bird-feeders, to support local biodiversity, encourage teamwork, enhance problem-solving skills, and deepen students’ connection to the natural world.
Venue: Woodbrook NS, Woodbrook, Carrick-On-Shannon, Co. Roscommon, N41 XD40
Time: 11am-12pm
No Booking Required
Age Range: Suitable for all ages
Corrib Kids Coding Workshops
Castlerea: Make Code Arcade Game Making-
Design your own 2D character and world using pixel art.
Strokestown: Lego Spike Essentials-
Use Lego spike essential coding kits to experiment with lights, sounds, sensors, and motors, connecting them to the computer via Bluetooth. Build a lego funfair and use code to make your amusements light up, move and have fun!
Roscommon: Lego Spike Essentials (description as above)
Roscommon: Make Code Arcade Game Making (description as above)
Venues:
Castlerea Library, Main St, Castlereagh, Castlerea, Co. Roscommon , F45 C8P7
Strokestown Library, Bawn St, Lisroyne, Strokestown, Co. Roscommon, F42 RH39
Roscommon Library, Abbeytown, Roscommon, Co. Roscommon, F42 RP49
Time: Castlerea-10am-11.15am
Strokestown-12pm-1.15pm
Roscommon- 2.15pm-3.30pm & 3.40pm-4.55pm
Booking Required: Via https://roscommon.spydus.ie/cgibin/spydus.exe/SET/WPAC/EVSESENQ/395904549/33055284?NREC=10
Age Range: 8-12yrs
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Cruinniú na nÓg Open Call 2025
Applications Open for Cruinniú na nÓg 2025 in Roscommon
Roscommon County Council Seeks Artists, Creatives and Youth Organisations to Inspire Young People
Roscommon County Council, in partnership with Creative Ireland, is excited to announce the call for applications for Cruinniú na nÓg 2025, taking place on Saturday, June 7th, 2025. This national day of FREE creativity for young people offers children and teens (ages 0-18) the chance to engage in fun, free, and hands-on creative activities in their local communities.
The council is now inviting artists, creative groups, and youth organizations to submit proposals for exciting workshops, events, and creative experiences that will help unlock the creative potential of Roscommon’s young people. Grants of up to €1,000 are available to support selected projects.
We asked young people what creative activities they love and what new ones they want to try, and their responses were inspiring! Based on their feedback, we encourage proposals that reflect these popular interests:
- Clay, Pottery & Sculpting
- Photography
- Theatre & Costume Design
- Trying New Instruments
- Design
- Street Art and Murals
- Sewing, Knitting & Crochet
Get Involved! Apply to Bring Your Creative Idea to Life
We are seeking proposals that offer engaging, interactive experiences in a wide range of creative areas, including theatre, music, dance, film, circus, fashion, photography, visual arts, digital arts, storytelling, street art, architecture, coding, nature projects, heritage, archaeology, and more!
Projects should put young people at the centre, encouraging active participation and creative exploration. We especially welcome projects that provide new opportunities for those who may not have had access to creative experiences before.
Introducing Cruinniú Late
As part of this year’s programme, we are also looking for proposals for Cruinniú Late, an event designed specifically for teenagers. This event should start no earlier than 4 PM and finish no earlier than 8 PM (later running times are encouraged).
Selection Criteria
Projects will be chosen based on:
- Engagement & Participation – How well young people are involved in creativity and the community.
- Youth Involvement – How much input young people have in shaping the idea.
- Relevance – How well the proposal aligns with young people’s interests.
- Diversity & Accessibility – How many young people can take part, including those from diverse backgrounds.
- Experience & Feasibility – The applicant’s experience in running creative events for young people.
Key Information for Applicants
- Events can take place before and on June 7th, 2025, but must include at least one activity on the main event day.
- Grants are available up to €1,000, with most awards ranging between €500 and €1,000.
- Only fully completed applications will be considered.
- Not all applications may receive funding; events that best align with Cruinniú na nÓg’s goals will be prioritized.
- All projects must comply with child protection legislation and have appropriate safeguarding policies in place.
- Applicants may submit up to three supporting files (e.g., images, recordings, or videos). Files should be in .doc, .pdf, or .jpg formats, while video and audio files should be shared via online links.
How to Apply
To apply, send your completed application form and supporting materials via email to creativeireland@roscommoncoco.ie. For further information, contact the Roscommon Arts Office at 090 663 7271 or email creativeireland@roscommoncoco.ie.
Applications forms can be found here
Application Deadline: Thursday, March 6th, 2025
Let’s make Cruinniú na nÓg 2025 a vibrant celebration of youth creativity in Roscommon! We can’t wait to see your inspiring ideas come to life.
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Cruinniú na nÓg Youth Survey 2025
And the winners are......
Roscommon County Council, pride ourselves on supporting Youth Voice representation in our programming.
We are so lucky to administer Creative Ireland and Cruinniú na nÓg funding but the important thing we need to ensure is that we are listening to the people we are programming for and hearing what they would like to see in their area.
Roscommon young people have a voice!
Cruinniú na nÓg is Ireland’s national day of free creativity for young people and Roscommon County Council want to hear about our the creative things our county’s children and young people like doing or would like to try.
We will then use this information when we offer funding to youth organisations to facilitate creative activities and events for Cruinniú na nÓg 2025 which will take place on the 7th June 2025.
By completing the BELOW form young people have the chance to tell us what they want. As many answers as possible, and the most popular themes will then be part of the Cruinniú na nÓg Open Call for grants that we will offer in the coming weeks. This will ensure that funding is spent on things that our young people enjoy and that programming is influenced by the people it is supposed to be for.
For under 12’s the form called “Cruinniú Survey Youth” is designed for you and over 12’s might prefer the form called “Cruinniú Survey Teens”. They both ask the same questions but we will be able to focus on what preferences come up in particular age groups.
Cruinniu-Survey-Youth.pdf (size 2 MB)
Cruinniu-Survey-Teens.pdf (size 4.2 MB)
You can return the completed forms via email to creativeireland@roscommoncoco.ie by scanning or taking pictures on a phone, all methods will be accepted.
You can do so by post if that is your preference, the address is Arts Office, Roscommon County Council, Aras an Chontae, Roscommon, F42 VR98
10 responses randomly selectined responses will receive goody bag prizes.
Closing date for receipt of completed forms is Friday 14th February
