Youth club celebrates 50 years in Rialto

VOLUNTEER
members at a Southside youth club who have worked selflessly to provide a creative
outlet for kids in the area are trying to reunite old friends at their upcoming
Golden Jubilee celebrations.

The
Ferrini Youth Club was established in Rialto in 1960 by the local branch of the
Society of St Vincent de Paul.

The
charity identified a need to provide services for young boys in particular as
the population increased with the development of large social housing complexes
including Fatima Mansions and Dolphin House.

In
1970 the club, which is run entirely by unpaid volunteers, allowed girls to
join its ranks.

Youth
leaders are planning a series of events to mark its 50th Anniversary Golden
Jubilee and includes the reunion night on Saturday, October 15.

Deirdre
McNally, who is a youth leader, explained that volunteers at the club help
provide young people in the area with a wide range of activities.

“We
have an art room and hall, so we have table tennis pool, hockey table and we
also do traditional stuff like skipping,

? she revealed.

“We run a football
league and we do things like cooking.

“We
also do drama and over the years we have had a teacher from the City of Dublin
Youth Services Board come in. We have also had someone in from Common Ground,
which is an arts service in Inchicore, and they have done story boards and
filming with the young people.

“There
is a huge history attached to the club,

? she added.

“We are open to the general
population in Rialto and the surrounding areas and we provide lots of
activities in a safe setting.

“We
have former members who are in their 50 or 60s now and they can talk about how
Ferrini gave them somewhere to go and that they wouldn’t have had anything else
to do otherwise.

?

Deirdre
said that former members forged strong and long lasting relationships at the
club and some even met their future spouses there in the past.

“By
being involved in the club a lot of people became youth leaders themselves and
continued to volunteer in the club. For most they have been involved for many
years.

“I
have been involved for 16 years and I am a blow in. There are people who have
been here for decades. Brendan Curtis, who was the first ‘Boy of the Year’ at
the club 50 years ago, is still here.

?

The
club’s 50th anniversary celebrations and reunion will be held in the Transport
Club, Crumlin from 8pm on Saturday, October 15 and food and entertainment will
be provided.

Tickets
cost e12.50 and are available from the club. The event is open to all past
members.

The
club is open to young people on Tuesday evenings between 7 and 9pm, on
Thursdays from 8pm to 10pm and on Fridays from 7 to 9pm.

The
Ferrini Youth Club has an active Facebook page that has many friends of both
current and past club members.

It
can be found on:
http://www.facebook.com/people/Ferriniyouthclub-Rialto/100001691619126