New Youth Café at rear of St. Joseph’s Hall, Blessington

When the results of the Parish Survey (2002) were analyzed, one of the major needs of the Parish was some social venue for our young people to call their own. It has been said by the young people themselves so often over the years that they have “nowhere to go”.
Now after major effort by the St. Joseph’s Hall Committee and the Parish Finance Committee, the New Youth Café is almost ready for opening. Nearly €80,000 has been spent on providing this facility with assistance from Wicklow Rural Partnership Ltd under the European Union LEADER + / National Development Plan 2000-2006.
Department of Community & Rural Affairs,
Wicklow County Council,
Katherine Howard Foundation, Dunnes Stores.
St. Joseph’s Hall Committee has appointed Mr. Guy Carleton to manage this facility and we hope that Guy and his assistants and the young people will make a great success of this venture.

We hope to continue giving you progress reports on the Youth Café on this page as it develops.
Any comments from young people on what they think or how it is working would be appreciated.

The photographs below show some of the activities available at the Café.

Photographs courtesy of John Murphy