Why did you join the National Youth Assembly of Ireland?

I have volunteered for many years with Amnesty International and following on from my time as Chairperson of DU Amnesty in 2022/2023, I was contacted by Amnesty Ireland saying that they would like to nominate me to join the National Youth Assembly of Ireland. It seemed like a great opportunity to engage with decision making processes in Ireland and I hadn’t even realised that we had a youth assembly in Ireland – so I thought; why not!

What was your favourite thing about being part of the Assembly?

There were a lot of great moments that I enjoyed during my time as a delegate to the Assembly but in particular I would highlight my experience as part of the Climate YAG as I felt I was really experiencing how the Assembly is made for young people and having young people at the centre of the organising process is vital to that! I also really enjoyed meeting and connecting with the other delegates and guest delegates at the Assemblies

What piece of advice would you give someone thinking of joining the Assembly in 2025?

I would say that it is so important to take advantage of all the opportunities that the Assembly presents to you! Often external opportunities come up and they are a great way to further develop your advocacy, etc.

Anything else you would like to share?

I very much appreciated the flexibility of the Assembly and the hybrid format for meetings (some in person and some online). I was travelling a lot during my time on the Assembly so couldn’t always be present, but I felt so involved nonetheless!

The National Youth Assembly of Ireland is currently accepting nominations for new delegates.

You can find all the information you need here.