‘I don't want to have to have a voice’: young people's experiences of climate crisis, activism and intergenerational relationships in Galway, Ireland

Focusing on the context of Galway on the west coast of Ireland, this article draws together young perspectives on the everyday intersection between intergenerational dialogue and climate crisis through the Irish data collected as part of the CCC-CATAPULT project. Incorporating a co-production and mixed-methods research design, CCC-CATAPULT worked with young people (15–18 year olds) in Ireland, United Kingdom, Finland and Italy to understand their perspectives on, and experiences of, climate crisis. The findings from this article draw from three methodological stages engaging young people living in Galway City and County as part of the Irish data collection process; this included: a survey (n = 510); focus groups (n = 37); and narrative workshops (n = 19). Intergenerational influence is often considered primarily in the context of familial relationships. Such relational influences are discussed in this article, but we also examine broader intergenerational influences through questions that consider young people’s resilience to engage perspectives on collective responsibility (or lack thereof) of older generations to prioritise an agenda that recognises and seeks to actively challenge the climate crisis. Finally, the article moves to consider how the data informs our thinking on young people’s resilience through activism, pointing towards future directions and research needs in this area.