Cork Teen Emily Takes Part in Historic Ireland-UK Youth Forum in Dublin

Emily from Cork was among 60 young delegates who gathered at Iveagh House in Dublin on Wednesday to participate in the first-ever Ireland-UK Youth Forum, a landmark initiative designed to give young people a voice in shaping future relations between Ireland and the United Kingdom.

The forum, opened by Minister for Children, Disability and Equality Norma Foley, brought together young people aged 16 to 24 from Ireland, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to discuss common challenges and opportunities affecting youth across the five jurisdictions.

Emily joined ten other Irish delegates, including representatives from Fingal, Dublin, Carlow, Waterford, Kildare, Laois, Offaly, Wexford and Meath, for the day-long event which was also attended by Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Helen McEntee, Minister of State Neal Richmond, and UK Ambassador to Ireland Kara Owen.

The forum was established following the first UK-Ireland Leaders' Summit in March 2025, where both governments committed to creating opportunities for young people to connect, share perspectives and influence policy.

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality Norma Foley said:

"The Ireland-UK Youth Forum shows what can be achieved when we create meaningful spaces for young people to collaborate. It allows young people in Ireland, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to have their voices heard on issues that matter most to them."

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Helen McEntee said:

"History shows us that building relationships between the people of these islands can produce deep and lasting results. Today's Youth Forum is an opportunity to further strengthen our cooperation by putting young people at the centre."

Delegates spent the day participating in facilitated discussions, identifying priority themes and developing recommendations using a "blue-sky thinking" approach. Their conclusions will be presented to the Taoiseach and UK Prime Minister at the Leaders' Summit in spring 2026.

A Youth Advisory Group comprising two representatives from each jurisdiction met monthly for nine months to shape the forum's agenda, methodology and discussion topics, ensuring the event was designed by young people, for young people.

UK Ambassador to Ireland Kara Owen commented:

"Young people are a key voice in steering the future of the UK-Irish relationship; they are the ones who will live it and embody it. That is why today's Forum is so important, and a powerful reminder of the energy and insight that exists across all the nations of our islands together in one room gives us a glimpse of the future we can build when cooperation, curiosity and mutual respect guide our conversations."

The forum will convene annually, rotating across jurisdictions, to continue fostering relationships and amplifying the voices of children and young people. A full report of the forum's proceedings will be submitted to both governments in advance of the spring 2026 Leaders' Summit.

Following the forum, youth participants were invited to a cultural event hosted by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The initiative reflects the ambition for closer people-to-people relations set out in the UK-Ireland 2030 Joint Statement and Ireland's bilateral cooperation frameworks with Wales and Scotland.