Outside, dense black clouds have obscured views of the highest point of the Slieve Bloom Mountains, and heavy rain is most certainly on the way. Inside, though, there is nothing but sunshine and smiles in the local community centre as the Camross Lunch Club gets ready to serve up an afternoon of togetherness with food and entertainment at its heart in Co Laois.

“It’s a daytime dinner dance; that’s how I explain it to people,” says Michelle Tuohy, smiling, looking out on bedecked tables set for more than 80 people on a Thursday just before noon. She is a community development officer with the Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme (SICAP) of Laois Partnership Company, which funds and helps to deliver the club bimonthly in collaboration with other stakeholders and a committed group of local community volunteers.

Positive spin-offs

In essence, the Camross Lunch Club is a social food gathering bringing older people or those living alone together to enjoy a two-course lunch with tea and coffee followed by music and dancing. While the idea is deceptively simple, the benefits for participants are many, and the spin-offs from the event have been hugely positive.

“The community really wanted to target rural isolation; that was the big thing. I think post-Covid, they felt older people weren’t coming out, weren’t engaging and hadn’t the capacity or ability. There was still that fear of reengaging and coming out,” explains Michelle of its origins.

When Johanna Steenvist retired as a liaison mental health nurse, she got involved in a regeneration programme to build up services in the village, and a community development plan identified the lack of resources, especially for older people, for meeting socially in the village.

A daytime coffee morning organised by several community groups evolved out of this need to bring the people of this dispersed parish together once a month. That expanded further with the lunch club when Johanna and a group of community activists met Michelle Tuohy at the Age Friendly ‘Live Well Expo’ to see if there were other ways they could link with older people or those living alone.

Having seen lunch clubs work well in neighbouring Offaly, Michelle kickstarted the idea in collaboration with the local community, leading to the inaugural event in Camross in December of 2024.

While the majority of attendees are from Camross, they also get people travelling from Portarlington, Castletown and Abbeyleix, among others.

It takes a “broad collaboration” to make every lunch club happen, but without strong community links and buy-in from local volunteers, it would be a non-runner, Michelle maintains.

“For me, it would never work unless we have the volunteers and the community behind us,” she states, thanking everyone for their support.

“We now alternate the coffee morning and the lunch club so that there is something on a monthly basis here in Camross for older people,” points out Michelle.

Today, turkey and ham is on the menu with apple tart and custard. It is supplied by an outside provider but served up by Michelle and her group of volunteers, which includes several Laois Partnership staff, two others from the Rural Social Scheme and strong community voluntary representation. Each attendee pays a small subsidised fee for the meal.

One of the first through the door is a beaming Junior Dowling, who is a regular attendee. “When you’re living alone, it’s grand to get out. I’d love it if it [the lunch club] was every fortnight,” he tells Irish Country Living. He comes to meet his neighbours for a chat and to enjoy the music, quipping that he even puts away his stick for a bit of dancing too.

Asked how the Junior moniker came about, he say, ‘There were four Michaels; my father was Michael or Mick, I had a cousin Mick, and he had a son Mick, and then someone said, “You may call him ’Junior’,”’ and it suited me. I’m heading on for 81 and I’m still Junior,” he chuckles.

In jig time the room fills up, and the air is thick with joyous, hearty laughter and chatter. Seats are swiftly filled at all the tables and there is a real air of community celebration as a well-drilled team serve the food quickly and with lashings of good humour and banter.

Mary Tynan is a busy grandmother who also helps out on the family farm and contracting business. “I don’t have every day free to come to it because I’m busy with other things, but it’s just another option on a bad, wet, cold day to come in, mix and enjoy a bit of music and food,” she smiles.

With less social outlets in rural areas, it’s also a nice way to meet local people. “You nearly could say this may be the new church where people meet and greet and mix ideas and generations,” she adds.

Her neighbour Ann Dooley was previously involved in a local ICA group which disbanded during Covid. She enjoys catching up with former members.

“The meal is nice and enjoyable, and you meet friends and have a chat. There is music and dance, for those who are able, and maybe a few songs too.”

Joe Dooley, who is known as Mr Camross, has been involved in a myriad of groups in the village over the years. He is a big fan of social dancing. “I love it,” he says of the lunch club. “As soon as I turned 60, I went to all of the active retirement events. It’s great to have it. You’d be lost without things like this. The community café outside is a great thing as well. I come down there one or two mornings a week,” he enthuses.

Aside from the social benefits, Johanna says it has already had multiple other positive spin-offs.

“One thing we didn’t anticipate is that we would have people from outside our community coming here, and they love it. That was identified as something really positive because the locals weren’t looking at the same people.

“Some of the groups, they would only get to chat to their friends when they were at a funeral or mass. That’s not where you sit down and talk, whereas here you do.”

Great atmosphere

Another benefit has been the establishment of the Camross Older Person’s Network, which she feels is very useful and will grow. “We’ve also been introduced to groups all over Laois; you could be doing something every day. You get to know every community so you’re not just suddenly on your own.

Aidan Hynes, who is a CE supervisor, notes a “real camaraderie” between the volunteers and the users of the service which makes for a great atmosphere, and as a Camross person, he is grateful to Laois Partnership for making it happen in the village. He and several members help set up the room beforehand. and on the day itself, assist with parking and chaperoning.

Peter Ormond, social inclusion programme manager with Laois Partnership Company, hailed the initiative as a “team effort”. Funded and carried out by SICAP, in association with LCDC, who are very supportive, it also received funding from Healthy Ireland in Laois to get it off the ground. At the moment, they are limited in terms of SICAP funding; but he certainly would like to see more funding being made available to expand to other areas.

After a dinner, Mary Cuddy cranks up the lively atmosphere even further with a lively version of The Speed of the Sound of Loneliness, by Nancy Griffith. Within minutes the dance floor is full. This is Camross Lunch Clubbing at its best!