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IT has been greatly missed over the past year, but the popular weekly Omagh St Enda’s bingo sessions are returning… to the virtual world.
Next Thursday night, March 4, bingo will be held in Omagh for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began, but not in its traditional location at Healy Park.
Instead, the bingo sessions, which regularly attracted full houses before the lockdown, are taking place via Zoom.
Their return is being welcomed by many, including Kieran Young, who says local people have “badly missed” their weekly bingo fix.
“We regularly had around up to 200 people taking part every Thursday night. It was a social occasion more than anything else, and people came from afar to take part,” he said.
One of the key jobs in bingo is the caller, and that role has been undertaken in recent years by Andy McAleer.
He is looking forward to getting back to some sort of routine, even if it is online.
“The bingo has been going for about 60 years at St Enda’s, initially in the Old Town Hall, then in our old clubrooms before Healy Park. Now we’re moving to an online forum… but temporarily,” he said.
Peter Bennett helps to organise the bingo and says he has missed the buzz of the regular Thursday night sessions.
“The craic is always good and the crowd interaction is brilliant. It’s definitely something which has been badly missed by the elderly in particular because it was a chance to meet, talk and hear the latest news.”
A bingo book can be purchased online through Klubfunder. Full details are available on the St Enda’s facebook page and anyone with queries can contact bingo@omaghstendas.com.
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