Children from across Carlow, Kilkenny, and Laois created a fantastic atmosphere at SETU for the 2025 Summer Activity Camps.
The camps were held at the University’s Carlow Campus from 14 to 25 July. The events were hosted at the University's state of the art facilities that include GAA, soccer, and athletics grounds, as well as additional grounds at SETU's South Sports Campus. The summer programme is an opportunity for participants to make new friends, develop new skills, to be creative, and to keep fit.
A highlight of the camps was the Olympics event where children competed for gold medals in fun games such as the potato and spoon race, the sack race, the beanbag throw, and the shoe race on SETU’s 400 metre track.
This year marked the return of the popular ‘Glow Soccer’ activity, introduced to the event's roster in 2024. 'Glow Soccer' incorporates UV paint, tape, and lights that created a fun glow-in-the-dark environment for participants to enjoy.
“We were delighted to be able to host another successful year of Summer Activity Camps. Our community outreach work is extremely important to us here at SETU’s Sports Department. It is so rewarding to see so many happy faces at the end of each day. The children got the opportunity to try new activities in a fun environment, while meeting new people and making lifelong friends.”
Paula Hickey, Sports Office Supervisor at SETU and camp organiser.
SETU’s Summer Activity Camps had a jampacked programme of indoor and outdoor activities. This included arts and crafts, athletics, badminton, computing, Gaelic football, rounders, soccer, tag rugby, table tennis, fun games, and uni-hockey. Participants also enjoyed an outing to Portlaoise Leisure Centre for swimming, followed by a picnic in the park.
This year’s camp was facilitated by SETU staff, students, and graduates who are committed to providing a fun and engaging experience for kids from around Carlow and the surrounding counties during their summer break.
SETU looks forward to hosting its Summer Activity Camps 2026.