About Active Ireland

Hello! We’re Active Ireland

Outdoor fun for kids, teens and grown-ups.

Camps · Schools · Cycling · Parties

Dublin, Wicklow, Kildare & beyond

Our Story

Outdoors is where the magic happens.

Active Ireland was founded during Covid, when the sports and events world shut down overnight. Instead of waiting for things to go back to normal, we started something new.

While children were stuck inside their school bubbles, we brought the fun to them — games, challenges and fresh air to help pupils and teachers through a strange time. When our first summer camps came round in Sallynoggin, the rules said everything had to happen outside — so we spent our days sending children out of the big hall and into the fresh air. We’ve never looked back.

In 2024 Active Ireland relaunched under Ali Coffey, and Tomás Whitty joined soon after — driving our sales and our cycling programmes, and playing a huge part in our growth. Today we run camps, Teen Getaways, school programmes, cycle training and parties at more venues than ever, and we’re heading into 2027 with a 5-star record and plenty more adventures planned.

Meet the Team

The people behind the adventure

Our crew is totally passionate about making every single experience unforgettable. Get to know the faces behind Active Ireland!

Ali Coffey

Director & Owner

Growing up in Dalkey – where she still lives with her family and her much-loved Springer Spaniel – Ali’s life has always revolved around the outdoors: camping, hiking, sea swimming and kayaking.

She spent years as a Sea Scout and later as a leader, the start of more than 30 years working with children in everything from coaching hockey to teaching computers. She has helped launch large-scale events like school tours at Alive Outside and Hell & Back, and recently completed a three-year term on the Rathdown PTA.

Always looking for new ways to support young people, Ali is a qualified life coach and is training in play therapy. At Active Ireland she brings it all together, leading the team behind our camps, Teen Getaways, school programmes, cycle training and group days – all designed to help young people grow in confidence and fall in love with the outdoors.

Tomás Whitty

Director of Operations

Tomás grew up in Ratoath, Co. Meath, where his love for sports kicked off early with rugby, GAA, and athletics. He definitely practices what he preaches, staying active today with weekly 5-a-side football and local park runs.

With a super solid background in financial services, Tomás brings top-tier organisational skills to the table. As our Director of Operations, he drives our cycle training, camps, and after-school classes forward to get as many kids moving as possible.

Tomás also spent time as a youth leader in his local Foróige group, helping young people build real confidence and leadership skills.

Leo Moss

Partnerships & Growth Manager

Leo recently moved to Dublin from the United States where he lived in Colorado, Maine, and Washington DC. He loves the outdoors and spends his free time playing basketball, hiking, mountain biking, and skiing.

He brings a background as a programme manager, educator, and camp director, with years of experience helping young people build skills and confidence through outdoor activities.

As our Partnerships and Growth Manager, Leo is focused on growing and developing new partnerships for Active Ireland, helping more kids and teens get active and enjoy nature.

Rebecca Lacoretz

Social Media Manager

Rebecca recently moved to Dublin from Denver, Colorado. With years of experience in social media management, strategy, and content creation for a variety of organisations, she brings a fresh and creative perspective to the Active Ireland team.

As our Social Media Manager, Rebecca is focused on developing content that reflects the fun and enriching programming Active Ireland provides, with the ultimate goal of bringing more kids and teens to the outdoors.

Rebecca is currently working toward her Master’s at University College Dublin. Outside of school and work, she loves hiking, baking, travelling, and playing with her dog.

Caoimhe Brady

Senior Camp Instructor

Born and raised in Dublin, Caoimhe figured out early on that she loved working with kids and keeping them active. Throughout secondary school, she spent her time coaching all ages—teaching dance in Dundrum, coaching football in Monkstown, and working as a sailing instructor in Dún Laoghaire.

Now juggling her role here with university life, Caoimhe brings incredible energy, creativity, and genuine care to every single session.

Whether on land or at sea, she’s an expert at building supportive, fun environments where kids can learn new skills, grow, and have a total blast.

Damian Byrne

Cycling Instructor

Outside of work, Damian is a passionate cyclist with a keen interest in both road and track racing. He competes in veteran road races with the IVCA and regularly races on the velodrome as a proud member of the Sundrive Track Team.

He also enjoys giving back to the sport by coaching young riders at the velodrome, helping to develop their skills, confidence, and enthusiasm for cycling.

Damian is also a fully qualified Cycle Right instructor, committed to promoting safe cycling skills and encouraging people of all ages to cycle with confidence.

Tara Nelson

Cycling Instructor

Tara is an active cyclist with the Sundrive Track Team, bringing her passion for two wheels to both competitive and community spaces.

While she loves the thrill of racing on the road, she is equally at home enjoying long, leisurely weekend kilometres in the countryside with friends.

Deeply committed to the future of the sport, Tara finds great joy in teaching children how to cycle safely as a fully qualified Cycle Right instructor, while also lending her energy and skills to our other camp adventures.

Ava Avalon Juffart

Instructor · Face Painter · Parties

Originally from Germany, Ava is a multilingual powerhouse fluent in English, Spanish, and German. She brings a brilliant mix of creativity and energy to everything she does, as an instructor on our camps and a firm favourite at our parties.

Ava is a fantastic artist. She’s taught after-school art classes to kids in Spain and has brought serious joy to events and parties all over Ireland through her face painting.

Her absolute love for working with kids, combined with her energy for sports, nature, and art, makes her a massive asset to the team.

Active Ireland Today

Growing every year

1,000+

kids and teens at our Summer Camps across Dublin and Wicklow

2,000+

children taking Cycle Training with us this year

60+

schools running CYCLE RIGHT with us this year

6%

of our campers join us from overseas — international friends at every camp

5★

record across our camps, events and outdoor fun

Our team

It starts with our people

Great outdoor experiences depend on great people. Every Active Ireland instructor is Garda-vetted, safeguarding-trained and first-aid certified — and chosen because they love working with young people.

A team that cares

Experienced camp leaders, coaches and instructors who are encouraging, patient and great fun to be around — the kind of people children remember long after camp.

Qualified & safe

Garda-vetted, safeguarding-trained and first-aid certified, with Cycling Ireland-certified CYCLE RIGHT instructors on our cycling programmes.

Learn by doing

Shelter-building, bushcraft, archery tag, team-building challenges, orienteering, paddleboarding and real road cycling — skills you only learn by having a go.

Phones away, adventure on

Nearly two in three Irish 12–14 year olds feel they spend too much time online (CyberSafeKids, 2024). We swap screens for real adventure, fresh air and memories.

Everyone belongs

Inclusion, diversity and respect shape every group, including inclusive cycling lessons for riders with additional needs.

Proud to work with

Schools, County Councils and Local Sports Partnerships, Cycling Ireland, the Road Safety Authority, An Óige and the Department of Transport.

Our Vision

An Ireland where getting outdoors is part of everyday life.

Where every child, teenager and adult gets the chance to explore, play, put the phone down, try something new and come home a little more confident than when they left.

Our mission: to bring friendly, safe and genuinely fun outdoor experiences to as many people as possible — through camps, school programmes, cycle training and parties — at great venues, with a team that cares.

An Ireland where getting outdoors is part of everyday life.

Join the team

Want to work with us?

We’re looking for activity instructors, cycling instructors and interns who love the outdoors.

See current roles

Come Outside With Us

Find your adventure

Camps, school programmes, cycle training and parties — for ages 5 to 16, and grown-ups too.

Camps Schools Cycling Parties

Get in Touch