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An Óige (Irish: [ənˠ ˈoːɟə]; meaning "Youth"), or the Irish Youth Hostel Association (IYHA), is a non-profit organisation providing youth hostel accommodation across the Republic of Ireland. An Óige is a member of Hostelling International.
Irish Youth Hostel Association | |
| Established | 7 May 1931 |
|---|---|
| Founders | Thekla Beere, Marion Tweedy, C.E. (Terry) Trench |
| Founded at | Dublin, Ireland |
| Type | Youth organization |
| Legal status | Non-profit |
| Focus | To encourage youths to appreciate the Irish countryside through hostelling. |
| Headquarters | Dublin, Ireland |
| Location |
|
| Coordinates | 53.356°N 6.268°W |
Region served | Republic of Ireland |
| Affiliations | Hostelling International |
| Website | anoige |
An Óige was founded on 7 May 1931 by an organising committee which included Thekla Beere, Shane Bodkin, and Chalmers (Terry) Trench.[1][2] The group had been inspired by the success of the Jugendherbergen in Germany.[2] An Óige's first youth hostel was opened at Lough Dan, near Roundwood, in County Wicklow.[2] An Óige was formed as a membership-based organisation and at its peak had some 15,000 members and ran 55 hostels.[2] It is now a member of Hostelling International.
Around the year 1990, the organisation bought the former convent school and orphanage complex at 60-61 Mountjoy Street, built circa 1865, and remodelled it for use as a hostel.[3] This became used as the main headquarters for An Óige.
As of 2017, the organisation operated 24 youth hostels in the Republic of Ireland.[4] In May 2019, An Óige closed the Dublin International Youth Hostel, which was then its main/headquarters facility and reportedly accounted for 60% of its revenue at the time.[5] By late 2019, An Óige was running 18 hostels, with franchise rights to a further 10.[5] During 2020, all hostels remained closed, as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland.[6]
In October 2019 the site of the former Headquarters on Mountjoy Street was put on the market at a guide price of €5 million.[7] As of August 2022, the site is now in use as a private hostel named Leevin Hostel Mountjoy.[8]
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An Óige, the Irish Youth Hostel Association, has a number of charitable aims. These include to support a "love and appreciation of the countryside" by providing "simple hostel accommodation for [people] whilst on their travels", to foster an appreciation of Irish culture and heritage, to co-operate with Irish organisations which seek to preserve the countryside and walking routes, and to foster associations with similar organisations in other countries.[9]
The organisation is a registered charity in Ireland.[10]
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