An Óige

An Óige, also known as the Irish Youth Hostel Association, is an Irish non-profit organisation that provides hostel accommodation and promotes youth travel, outdoor recreation and cultural exchange. Its name means “Youth” in Irish. The organisation was established on 7 May 1931 by a committee that included Thekla Beere, Shane Bodkin and Chalmers (Terry) Trench. Its founders were influenced by the Jugendherbergen youth-hostel movement that had developed in Germany, adapting the principle of affordable, simple accommodation for travellers to an Irish setting. An Óige opened its first hostel at Lough Dan near Roundwood in County Wicklow. From this base it developed a national network intended to make Ireland’s countryside accessible to young travellers, walkers and other visitors. The organisation operated on a membership basis and, at its height, reported approximately 15,000 members and 55 hostels. Its activities combined accommodation with a broader charitable and educational purpose: encouraging appreciation of the countryside, Irish culture and heritage; supporting organisations concerned with conservation and walking routes; and maintaining links with similar hostel associations internationally. The organisation’s business model has historically depended on hostel accommodation, memberships and related visitor services rather than conventional commercial hotel operations. Its properties have included rural hostels as well as larger urban facilities. An Óige became affiliated with Hostelling International, connecting it to a worldwide network of national youth-hostel associations and allowing it to serve international budget travellers visiting Ireland. From the 2000s onward, An Óige faced sustained financial and operational pressure. Low overnight bookings contributed to losses, and eight hostels were closed in 2004. The organisation’s network subsequently contracted substantially. In May 2019 it closed the Dublin International Youth Hostel, its principal headquarters and one of its most important facilities. The closure was attributed to repair costs that the organisation could not afford. The Dublin property had reportedly generated a large share of An Óige’s revenue, making the decision especially consequential. The former Mountjoy Street premises were placed on the market later in 2019 and were subsequently used by a private hostel operator under the Leevin Hostel name. By late 2019 An Óige operated eight hostels directly and held franchise rights for a further ten. The COVID-19 response in Ireland then led to the closure of all of its hostels during 2020, adding a major interruption to an already reduced operating network. By April 2026, the organisation was reported to operate four hostels, compared with its historical peak of 55. An Óige remains a registered Irish charity and continues to present itself as a provider of accessible hostel accommodation and as an organisation supporting travel, outdoor activity, Irish heritage and international exchange.

An Óige was founded on 7 May 1931 as Ireland’s national youth-hostel association. Its creation reflected the international growth of the youth-hostel movement, particularly the Jugendherbergen model in Germany. The founding committee included Thekla Beere, Shane Bodkin and Chalmers (Terry) Trench. The organisation’s first hostel opened at Lough Dan near Roundwood in County Wicklow, establishing a model based on simple, relatively inexpensive accommodation in locations suited to walking and countryside travel. An Óige was organised as a membership-based, non-profit body rather than as a conventional hotel chain. Its stated aims included making travel through Ireland more accessible, encouraging love and appreciation of the countryside, promoting Irish culture and heritage, cooperating with bodies concerned with conservation and walking routes, and building relationships with similar organisations overseas. Its affiliation with Hostelling International placed the Irish association within a global network of national hostel organisations. Over the following decades An Óige expanded its estate and membership. At its peak it had approximately 15,000 members and operated 55 hostels, giving it a substantial presence in Ireland’s budget-accommodation and youth-travel sector. The network included rural properties serving walkers and visitors to scenic areas, as well as urban accommodation for people travelling through Ireland’s cities. The organisation later experienced a prolonged decline in demand and financial resilience. Low levels of overnight bookings contributed to losses, and eight hostels were closed in 2004. The contraction continued as the economics of maintaining a dispersed hostel network became more difficult. Around 1990, An Óige acquired a former convent school and orphanage complex at 60–61 Mountjoy Street in Dublin, a building dating from approximately 1865, and converted it for hostel use. The site became the organisation’s main headquarters and housed the Dublin International Youth Hostel. In May 2019, An Óige closed the Dublin International Youth Hostel because the cost of necessary repairs was unaffordable. The Dublin operation was particularly important to the organisation and was reported to have represented about 60 percent of its revenue at the time. The Mountjoy Street property was placed on the market in October 2019 with a guide price of €5 million. It later became a private hostel operating under the Leevin Hostel name, rather than an An Óige facility. By the end of 2019, An Óige was operating eight hostels directly and had franchise rights relating to another ten. The COVID-19 pandemic created a further severe interruption: all of the organisation’s hostels remained closed during 2020 under Ireland’s public-health response. The long-term result has been a much smaller network. The organisation was reported as operating four hostels as of April 2026, compared with its historical peak of 55. Despite this reduction, An Óige remains an Irish registered charity, an active participant in the Hostelling International community and a provider of hostel accommodation linked to outdoor travel, cultural exchange and access to Ireland’s countryside.

• 2026

  Reported network reduced to four hostels

  [1]An Óigeen.wikipedia.org

  By April 2026, An Óige was reported to operate four hostels, substantially fewer than its historical peak.

• 2020

  Hostel operations suspended during the pandemic

  [1]An Óigeen.wikipedia.org

  All An Óige hostels remained closed during Ireland’s COVID-19 response.

• 2019

  Dublin International Youth Hostel closes

  [1]An Óigeen.wikipedia.org

  An Óige closed its principal Dublin hostel and headquarters facility because repair costs were unaffordable.

• 2019

  Mountjoy Street property offered for sale

  [1]An Óigeen.wikipedia.org

  The former Dublin headquarters and hostel property was placed on the market in October.

• 2004

  Network contraction begins with eight hostel closures

  [1]An Óigeen.wikipedia.org

  Eight hostels were closed amid financial losses and low overnight bookings.

• 1990

  Mountjoy Street complex acquired and converted

  [1]An Óigeen.wikipedia.org

  An Óige acquired a former convent school and orphanage complex in Dublin and remodelled it as a hostel and headquarters.

• 1931

  An Óige is founded

  [1]An Óigeen.wikipedia.org

  An Óige was established on 7 May by a committee including Thekla Beere, Shane Bodkin and Chalmers (Terry) Trench.

• 1931

  First hostel opens at Lough Dan

  [1]An Óigeen.wikipedia.org

  The organisation opened its first youth hostel near Roundwood in County Wicklow.

A charitable, membership-based Irish hostel network focused on affordable travel, access to the countryside, cultural exchange and outdoor recreation.

• Hostel accommodation · 1931

  An Óige youth hostels

  An Óige’s core offering is simple, affordable hostel accommodation in Ireland. The network has historically included rural properties near scenic areas and walking routes as well as urban accommodation. The service is designed for youth travellers, walkers, budget-conscious visitors and people seeking social or international travel experiences. The organisation’s charitable objectives connect accommodation with access to the Irish countryside, cultural understanding and outdoor recreation.

• Membership service · 1931

  An Óige membership

  An Óige was established as a membership-based organisation. Membership supports access to the Irish youth-hostel association and connects travellers with the wider Hostelling International movement. The membership model reflects An Óige’s non-profit structure and its historic role in promoting affordable travel, youth mobility and links between Irish and overseas hostel organisations.

• 2020

  Suspend hostel operations during COVID-19 restrictionsOther

  Background

  Ireland’s public-health response to the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted accommodation and travel operations.

  Action taken

  All An Óige hostels remained closed during 2020.

  Aftermath

  The suspension added to the organisation’s operational difficulties and preceded a substantially smaller network in later years.

  Source

• 2019

  Close the Dublin International Youth HostelStrategy

  Background

  The principal Dublin hostel and headquarters required repairs that An Óige considered unaffordable.

  Action taken

  An Óige closed the facility in May 2019 and subsequently put the Mountjoy Street property on the market.

  Aftermath

  The property later became a private hostel operated under the Leevin Hostel name, while An Óige continued with a smaller network.

  Source

• 2004

  Close eight loss-making hostelsStrategy

  Background

  The organisation faced sustained financial pressure and low overnight bookings across parts of its hostel network.

  Action taken

  An Óige closed eight hostels as part of a contraction of its operating estate.

  Aftermath

  The closures marked a significant reduction from the organisation’s historical expansion and were followed by further network contraction.

  Source

1. 1An Óigeen.wikipedia.org
2. 2An Óige official websiteanoige.ie