Athlone Pop Up Gaeltacht goes from strength to strength

Every Thursday from 9pm without fail Athlone Pop Up Gaeltacht group meets in the Dead Centre Brewery in Athlone.

The pop up Gaeltacht started in mid 2019, among a group of friends who were trying to learn Irish via Duolingo, and were frustrated at the lack of avenues for practising and speaking the language in the town.

After reading about the successes of pop up Gaeltachts in Dublin and Belfast, they decided to test the water and see if there was an appetite for a similar venture in Athlone.

Local resident Ruairí O’Concubhair explains: “We made a Facebook event for the first night, and to be honest, we weren’t really expecting anyone other than the three or four of us who had been discussing the idea to show up. We were overwhelmed when about 15 people showed up to the first night. We knew then, there was definitely an appetite for an teanga in Athlone”.

Covid-19 posed a challenging time for the pop up group, particularly when the pub that was so accommodating to them, The Malt House closed. However, since the easing of restrictions, the group has found a new home in The Dead Centre Brewery.

“Liam and the gang at Dead Centre have been very accommodating since we have moved the Pop Up Gaeltacht here, it's a great spot to come, practice your cúpla focal, and even play a tune or sing a song.

"It's very important to all of us in the Pop Up Gaeltacht that we do our bit to keep the language and traditional culture alive, and there's no better way to meet new people in an inclusive and friendly atmosphere,” Ruairí continued.

Athlone Pop Up Gaeltacht meets on Thursday nights at 9pm till late in Dead Centre Brewery. All are welcome.