Fermoy Men’s Club

At the invitation of Mary Allen, Avondhu Blackwater Partnership, through an advertisement in The Avondhu weekly newspaper, a group of twelve men met in Fermoy Youth Centre in July 2011. They viewed a recording of Cork V Kilkenny in the 1966 All-Ireland Hurling Final in Croke Park.

After the game ended, a general discussion took place on the possibility of organising a men’s group in the town. The aim and objective of the group was to provide and opportunity to meet and discuss issues, which would be of interest to men and to arrange trips to places of interest within a reasonable distance of Fermoy, or further afield, if members choose to travel.

A further meeting took place before Christmas at Avondhu Blackwater Partnership. Each person at the meeting undertook to encourage another person to attend a meeting on Monday 16^th January again at Avondhu Blackwater Partnership, The Showgrounds, Fermoy.

Fifteen men gathered at Avondhu Blackwater partnership on Monday to decide a structure for the newly formed Men’s Club. Each person outlined his reason for attending the meeting. The range of opinions expressed included

The opportunity to meet for a coffee and a chat on regular occasions
Joint meetings with members of other voluntary organizations in fermoy
Individual presentations by members of Fermoy Men’s Club
Presentations by external guest speakers on subjects of their choice
Short day trips to venues in East Cork , Cork City and other locations
Longer trips to Lár na Pairce in Thurles, Kilkenny and to Glasnevin Cemetry & Natural History Museum, Collins Barracks, Dublin – among a few.

Preferences for the selected range of activities were decided via completion of a short questionnaire. It was unanimously decided to meet at 3pm on Monday, January 30^th to elect officers. The venue for the next meeting is The Grand Hotel. Members of the newly formed Club are invited to meet at 2.30pm for tea/coffee and a chat before selecting persons to guide the club and chart a course (by consensus) to meet the individual needs of its members.

An invitation is extended to men who wish to interact with members of the newly formed club. Everybody will be welcome.