Youth Night in Athlone showcases teenagers’ developing talents
By David Flynn
The talents and innovative ideas of Athlone’s young people was on display to the local community at St Mary’s Hall during Youth Night on Friday, November 21, which was the first ever national event dedicated to youth services.
Across Ireland, youth clubs and gatherings were opened to the public and families and friends of the young people who spend their spare time in these centres.
St Mary’s Hall in Northgate Street is home to the Gateway Youth Project, which is funded by Longford/Westmeath Education Training Board. It houses two groups which work alongside Athlone youths in many different projects, and is a home away from home, and a school away from school, for these young folk.
The old dancehall at St Mary’s is where the two youth projects reside, with a youth café situated in what used to be the balcony of the dancehall.
"The concept of a third place is where you have your home, your work or your school and your third place is somewhere else where you need to go. This is their third place," said Kieran Burke, Education Development Worker for one of the groups, Athlone Community Taskforce (ACT).
Kieran went on to say that on Youth Night the young people were welcoming the public into their ‘space’.
"The two groups here, ACT and Foroige, work very closely together and we’re both funded by Longford/Westmeath Educational Training Board," said Kieran, a native of Retreat Park.
Kieran works with young people from various different demographics. Some are at risk of social exclusion, some are early school leavers and some need help with integration, as they may be young arrivals to Ireland facing a variety of issues.
"We have all sorts of people from every background in St Mary’s or in the Gateway youth projects. We work closely together," said Kieran.
The young people there could be working on Foroige projects or a young animators project, and they may also be in ACT’s after school hub at the Gateway centre.
"My generation would have known (St Mary’s Hall) as being part of the Youth Ministry, and there were always loads of things going on. There were a lot of kids here from Marine View, Montree, Assumption Road, St. Kieran’s Terrace, that were my peers, and now we have kids coming from all over town, all parts," said Kieran.
He further said that he hoped people who came in for Youth Night would see the "vibrancy," of the young people’s place.
"The young people bring great energy, and you get the feeling that they are welcoming you into their space," said Kieran.
At the Gateway Project centre, young teenagers worked on their various entertainment projects throughout the evening, including music, poetry, historical lectures and dancing.
"They express themselves in all sorts of amazing things here," said Kieran. "During the day things can get a lot quieter and calmer and I meet people with some problems. They might come in in ones or twos or threes and, hopefully, if they become more confident, they might join some of the groups in the evening. That would be one of the end goals."
Read more about the Gateway Project and its positive impact on the local youth community here