Night of nostalgia on the cards as Athlone Facebook group hosts get-together event
An online group that allows people to share photos and memories of Athlone in bygone days will hold its first-ever function in the Shamrock Lodge Hotel this weekend.
A large attendance is expected at the social night which is being organised by the 'Athlone Down Memory Lane’ Facebook group.
A buffet, live music, and a slideshow display of old Athlone photographs will be featured at the event which is being held in the Shamrock Lodge Hotel this Saturday, September 17.
The 'Athlone Down Memory Lane’ page on Facebook was started by local woman Denise McNamara in 2012.
Larry Loughman, who lives in Dublin and posts online under the name 'Hank Lockman’, became an administrator of the page in 2014. He has seen its popularity grow to the extent that it now has over 5,000 members.
“It has just snowballed,” he said. “We (post) a lot of stories, photographs, and history of Athlone and its surrounds.”
Larry is a son of the late Billy and Mairead Loughman. He grew up in Beechpark West, Athlone, but left Ireland in 1968. He worked for spells in England and the US, and also served as one of the initial managers employed by the Delorean motor company to set up its manufacturing plant in Dunmurry, outside Belfast.
A brother of Mickey Loughman of Gertie Browne’s pub in Athlone, Larry is now retired and lives with his wife Breda in Swords.
Speaking to the Westmeath Independent, he explained that he first started posting on 'Athlone Down Memory Lane’ to share content from old books and photographs he had kept.
“The page was set up so that Athlone people, both at home and abroad, would have a way of keeping their memories of the town alive. You might see a post there that would have you thinking about something you hadn’t thought about in 50 years.
“A lot of old memories and old friendships have been rekindled as a result of it. People like to look back on things like going to school and going to dances.
“There are very few bad memories on it. Everyone seems to have enjoyed their upbringing even though they grew up when times were hard. They all seem to have done well and gone on to raise good families.”
Even though he was not living locally, Larry said he always kept in touch with goings-on in the town over the years. “I’ve always read 'the Westmeath’ - I’ll put it like that.
“But the town has changed and the longer you’re away, the fewer people you know when you come back.”
When asked how much time his role as an administrator of the page takes up, he replied: “My wife would tell you that I’m on it all the time! But in reality I’d spend about three hours a day on it. It’s a labour of love and I’ve been introduced to a lot of nice people as a result of it.”
The idea for an Athlone Down Memory Lane social night was first mooted “about a year ago” and an organising committee was set up consisting of Larry, John Dowling, Lizzy Shiel, Jean Gough, Liam Gaffey, Dom McCarth, and Paul Brennan.
Tickets for the night are €15 each, which includes a buffet meal. There will be live music from Brian O’Sullivan and Dessie O’Neill, a raffle, a photo slideshow and photo albums on display.
Proceeds from the night will go towards the South Westmeath Hospice The Seamus Meade Treatment Fund.
Tickets can be purchased from the committee in advance and will also be available on the night. Larry said he was looking forward to a very enjoyable night with visitors from Australia, the US and the UK expected to attend.