A place to meet new people and try new things in Kilkerrin

A SOCIAL club in North Galway is helping ladies connect with each other while also introducing them to new activities.

Started in 2010, the Kilkerrin Ladies Social Club (KLSC) was the brainchild of Caroline Coneran, a Kilkerrin native who had returned home with a young family after spending a few years in Boston.

Following her arrival, she felt there was a gap in the community for people like herself who would like the opportunity to get out and meet up with other ladies for a cup of tea or a chat.

After bouncing the idea off a few friends, she organised a meeting at Kilkerrin Community Centre, where attendees expressed a keen interest in setting up a ladies’ club in the community.

From having the first meeting in September 2010 with 40 members, the club is currently has 50 members 16 years later.

“Women come and go as they please, some stay for few months, some stay for years”, said Maria Gordon, one of the founding members and a leader of Kilkerrin Ladies Social Club (KLSC).

Maria told The Tuam Herald that the group is unique in it is not run by a committee, but instead encourages each member to participate and have a chance to organise an event for the group every month.

All members are divided in small sub-groups and allocated a month to arrange an activity. The core committee — including Maria Gordon, Caroline Coneran and Rita Hession - oversees the overall running of the club and provides support when needed.

“This also allows for a greater variety of activities with everyone involved in deciding what to do,” noted Maria. Maria recalled that the first night out event for the group was held in October when they went to the Town Hall Theatre in Galway to watch ‘Little Gem’ by Elaine Murphy.

“Since then, we have had such a variety of nights out including some informational events where we would have speakers and advisors talk about health, beauty or other issues.”

“We have also been introduced to a lot of activities that we would have never experienced before and some of these events also encourage the ladies to continue those activities further,” added Maria.

“We have had some very memorable nights over the last 16 years. Nights that particularly stand out include an introduction to belly dancing, where there was more belly laughing than dancing and a pizza making session at Lumbarjacks Pizza in Tuam, where the ladies got to make their own pizzas,” she recalled.

“The best part of it is meeting up with the girls. It doesn’t matter what we do together,” explained Marcella Hargadon, a member of KLSC from Clonberne.

Marcella has been with the club since the beginning and her group organised the recent monthly activity in May.

She believes that the group provides the ladies a break from all the roles and responsibilities in their day-to-day lives.

“There are different stages of life there and the group gives us a chance to try things you wouldn’t normally do.”

Marcella once organised a chair yoga session which she had never tried before.

Some of the various activities organised by the club include chair yoga, Salsa, Zumba, line dancing, belly dancing, painting, homeopathy etc. along with more serious informative sessions on cancer and cyber security.

“Through these one-time events, you get a taste of the activity and sometimes they can become part of your life going further,” explained Marcella.

The group is always open to new members of the community who want to join in and get to know each other.

Starting from the shared parish of Kilkerrin and Clonberne, ladies have joined from nearby Moylough, Glenamaddy and other areas as well.

“We have welcomed numerous new ladies to the community through the club since 2010 and some great friendships have been formed,” said Maria.

“We welcome ladies of all ages to join as there is such a wide variety of nights out and something to suit everyone. They can even come in for just one night without being a part of the club,” she explained, adding that there's no pressure on members to attend every event or meeting.

A small membership fee is charged annually to maintain the insurance and other related expenses while the events are often paid or free depending on the type of activity arranged.