Club 1428's Meet and Greet a big success
Retirees from across the Mullingar area attended the 1428 Active Retirement Club's Meet and Greet Fun Day in the Annebrook Hotel on Wednesday.
The club organised a range of peer led arts and craft activities for the first part of the day, while after lunch popular local singer Noel Briody provided the entertainment. Also in attendance were representatives from Mullingar's Community Policing Unit and the Chime hearing aid charity.
The Meet and Greet Day was the first large event organised by the 1428 Club in over two years. Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner at the event, the 1428 Club manager Debbie Daly said that it was great to see the members and their friends from other clubs having a good time after a difficult couple of years for many people.
"We wanted to get everyone out interacting with each other and that is why we didn't just limit it to our club.
"It's great to see everyone so happy. I love to see them all intermingling and interacting with each other. I think that the craft activities break the ice and they all have something to take home as well."
Funding for the event came from the charity As Darragh Did, which was set by Andrew McGinley in memory of his son Darragh, who sadly left this world together with his brother Conor and sister Carla in January 2020.
Ms Daly said that the club appreciates the funding from As Darragh Did.
"I admire Andrew so much. Out of the charity he has brought some hope and some positivity. To see him helping so many people is amazing. I really appreciate Andrew and Michelle [his Mullingar based sister] coming today because I know they are so busy and I think they enjoyed seeing what happens at these sort of community groups."
Mr McGinley said that he was delighted that As Darragh Did was able to help the 1428 Club.
"To see here today that we've funded this event that has brought a lot of the retired community in the area in together is fantastic. This is really a great project and the sort of thing Darragh was about."
See next week's Westmeath Examiner for more photos.