Picture Ciara Murphy, Photograph: Leon Farrell / RollingNews
Ciara Murphy CIÉ Youth Board appointment will see the Drogheda student represent a Louth perspective on the future of public transport.
The board brings together people aged between 18 and 24 from nine counties and will provide feedback and ideas on the future of public transport.
Ciara, 24, a Master’s student in Common Law who travels between Louth and Dublin for college and work, said she hopes to ensure the experiences of young people in the county are represented.
I’m delighted to be joining CIÉ’s Youth Board, she said.
I rely on both buses and trains to travel between Louth and Dublin for college and work, and I know first-hand how important safe, reliable and accessible public transport is for daily commuters.
I want to make sure that young people in Louth have a real say in how our public transport develops, and I’m especially interested in improving late-night services and ensuring young women and girls feel safe travelling home.
12 members selected
The new Youth Board is made up of young people from Carlow, Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Louth, Offaly, Roscommon and Wexford.
The 12 members were chosen from 86 applicants, with 30 young people progressing to the interview stage.
They will act as an advisory group to CIÉ, sharing views on challenges and opportunities across the organisation and offering a youth perspective on public transport.
The group met for the first time following their formal appointment last month and were introduced to the CIÉ Board at Heuston Station in Dublin.
They also visited Iarnród Éireann’s mechanical and engineering hub at Inchicore Works.
Building on first Youth Board
CIÉ established its first Youth Board in 2024, recruiting 15 young people who worked with the organisation over two years.
During that time, members engaged with teams from Dublin Bus, Iarnród Éireann, Bus Éireann and CIÉ Tours.
Aisling Maloney, previous Youth Board Chair, said:
Joining the Youth Board two years ago, I didn’t know what to expect, but I hadn’t imagined that we would sit down with the people who run Ireland’s buses and trains for genuine two-way conversations about the future of travel in Ireland.
We spent time with incredible teams across Dublin Bus, Iarnród Éireann, Bus Éireann and CIÉ Tours, where we saw first-hand how much work goes into keeping the country moving.
To the new board, I want you to ask the difficult questions, bring your lived experiences and remember that your voice counts. We’re not just passengers, we’re stakeholders. Best of luck, this journey is yours to continue
Aidan Murphy, Chair of the CIÉ Board, said When we set up our first Youth Board two years ago, we wanted young people at the table, not just in the conversation, and they more than delivered.
They asked tough questions, brought fresh ideas and gave us an honest view of what public transport is like for young people across Ireland. Today I’m delighted to welcome twelve new members from every corner of the country.
The decisions we make now will shape how this generation travels for decades, and I can’t wait to work with them.
Stephen Kent, Group CEO of CIÉ, said Public transport in Ireland is growing at an unprecedented pace, with new trains, more services and more passengers every year.
As we grow, we need to make sure we’re building something young people actually want to use.
Our Youth Board gives us a direct line to that perspective, and I’m looking forward to seeing our teams across the Group put this new board’s ideas to work.”
The CIÉ Youth Board is being delivered in collaboration with THINKHOUSE.
