The Hopkins Youth Festival July 2025
Saturday 18th to Thursday 24th (daily except Sunday)
Newbridge College
Derek Egan, Director,
The Hopkins Youth Festival 2025
tel. 086-4021459.
The Hopkins Youth Programme is an event geared towards 5th Year students who have an interest in literature, writing or the arts in general. Students attend from all over Kildare as well as Dublin, Laois, Offaly and Carlow.
Dates
Saturday 19th to Thursday 24th July in from 10 am to 4 pm each day, excluding Sunday.
Venue: Newbridge College
(The full cost of the programme would be over €300 but this Youth Programme is subsidised by the Hopkins Society and as a result the cost to students is kept to €50.)
Student Daily Schedule
Exam help!
- A special student exploration of the English poetry on their Leaving Cert. course led by Dr. Will Adamson, Bamberg University, Germany.
- Brett Millier, Professor of American Literature at Middlebury College, Vermont, USA will discuss the life and works of Elizabeth Bishop, T.S. Eliot and Tracy K. Smith with the students.
- An exploration of Shakespeare’s drama on the Leaving Cert. course. Presented by Jenny Adamson, English teacher and Licentiate, London School of Music & Drama.
- An fhilíocht don Ardteist – how to prepare the Irish poetry for the Leaving Cert. exam, led by Derek Egan, Irish teacher and Dept. of Education examiner.
- An introduction to creative writing in both poetry and prose.
- Multi-language Translation Workshop
Full 2025 Youth Programme here
But the Youth Programme is much more than that!
- A Words and Music Workshop where students get to explore the relationship between music and lyrics and then have a
go at composing themselves. Led by Conor Mahony, musician and songwriter.
- A demonstration of the art of Origami, presented by Ms. Akiko Kidokoro, Japan.
- Making documentary films – a view of what goes on behind the camera. With multi-award winning film producer Jim
Kelly from the USA. - A students’ introduction to looking at visual art.
- A students’ guide to speaking and performing in public.
- Free entry to the festival’s Classical Music Concert with world-famous pianist Hans Palsson from Sweden, and to the
Traditional Irish Concert featuring Irish music legends Frankie Gavin and Noel Hill.
- An opportunity to meet and mix with leading academics and writers from around the world. With lots more as well!
Read Student Comments on the programme over the years
- Absolutely fantastic! I’ve never experienced anything quite like it and I never will again!
- It has given me so many lovely memories and increased my level of understanding in art and literature enormously. I received a H1 in Honours English Leaving Cert and I believe that your programme helped me greatly.
- The course has had a major influence on my life"
- I thought the broad range of subjects was excellent and the teachers who worked with us were fantastic”
- I see poetry from a better angle now, my eyes are open to every possibility of the poem. I now know that I enjoy writing and reading poetry and have all the tips, thanks to this programme.”
- It was brilliant, I know a lot more material for the exam and it was great to meet other young people with same interst in poetry
- I enjoyed the Programme greatly, it was one of the best weeks of my summer.”
Each schools may nominate students they feel would best benefit from attending the Youth Programme.
For further information on the programme contact Derek Egan, Youth Programme Director
mob 086-4021459.
Newbridge College, 10 am til 4 pm daily (except Sunday).
Cost of Hopkins Youth Festival 2025
Cost of the programme would be over €300 but this is subsidised by The Hopkins Society. As a result the cost to you, for the week, is kept to €50.
Exam help at hand!
Daily Schedule of 2025 Youth Programme available here - or contact Derek
Highlights of 2025 Hopkins Youth Festival
- Emily Dickenson and Sylvia Plath Discussion of Life and Works of Emiy Dickenson and Sylvia Plath with Brett Millier, Professor of American Literature
at Middlebury College, Vermont, USA. - Shakespeare's Drama
An exploration of Shakespeare’s drama on the Leaving Cert. course. Presented by Jenny Adamson, English teacher
and Licentiate, London School of Music & Drama. - An Fhilíocht don Ardteist. Prepare Irish poetry for the Leaving Certificate examination With Derek Egan, Dept. of Education examiner.
- Introduction to Creative Writing ( Poetry and Prose.) Multi-language Translation Workshop
- (with translators from Germany, Japan, Finland and more). The Hopkins Festival Committee, each year, select a HopkinsSonnet. God's Grandeur is the Hopkins Sonnet selected for this year's Translation Workshop. You will be able to work on a version of God's Grandeur in a language of your choice (including Irish, of course).
- Origami Workshp led by Madame Akiko Kidokoro
- After all that work, you will certainly enjoy an Origami Workshp led by
Madame Akiko Kidokoro
Past participants' observations on The Hopkins Youth Festival
The Hopkins Youth Festival was brilliant! I know a lot more material for the exam and it was meeting other young people with same interst in poetry was wonderful!
I enjoyed The Hopkins Youth Festival greatly. It was one of the best weeks of my summer.
Schools may nominate students they feel would benefit from attending the Hopkins Youth Programme. For further information on the programme contact Derek Egan
or 086-4021459.
For information on the Hopkins Festival see our website www.gerardmanleyhopkins.
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