An Óige or the Irish Youth Hostel Association (IYHA) is the Hostelling International

Hostelling International

Hostelling International, formerly known as International Youth Hostel Federation , is the federation of more than 90 national youth hostel associations in more than 80 countries who have over 4,500 affiliated hostels around the world....

's association for the Republic Of Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

.

An Óige was founded in 7 May 1931 by Thekla Beere

Thekla Beere

Thekla Beere was an Irish civil servant who chaired the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in 1970 and was secretary of Ireland Department of Transport & Power....

(as part of an organising committee) as a membership based organization and is a member of the International Youth Hostel Federation. The headquarters are located in Dublin at 61, Mountjoy Street an eight-minute walk from O'Connell Street and less than an hour by Dublin Bus (16A or higher with Airlink) from Dublin Airport.

An Óige operates (as of early 2009) 27 youth hostels in the Republic of Ireland, some of which are only open in the summer season. The hostels in Dublin, Cork or Galway, are open all year round as well as hostels in Fossa in Killarney, County Kerry; Cong in County Mayo, in Gweedore in County Donegal and in Glendalough in County Wicklow.

The first youth hostel was opened in 1931 in Lough Dan (Irish: Loch Dean), near Round Wood (Irish: An Tochar), in County Wicklow (Irish: Cill Mhantáin).

Objective

To help all, but especially young people, to a love and appreciation of the countryside, particularly by providing simple hostel accommodation for them whilst on their travels.