Templetuohy hall to celebrate fifty years of bingo

Templetuohy New Hall was oficially opened in June 1968 and comprised of an 1800 sq ft maplewood floor and modern toilets. In order to help pay for the building and the ongoing running costs it was decided to run a weekly bingo. The first bingo was held on Friday September 6 1968. The prize money that night was £ 47 and the takings were only £28 leaving a loss £19.
Some time later bingo was held on a Thursday night and this has continued each week for the next fifty years. The committee at that time included Tim Butler as Chairman, Ned Fogarty as Secretary, Johnny Curtis, Jim Lanigan, Liam O'Shea, Billy Sweeney, Ned Everard, Tom Curtis, Paddy Tiernan, Toby Maher, Jimmy Guilfoyle, John Mc Donnell, Jimmy Kiely and Fr Joseph Bergin PP.
In some of the earlier years if the crowd was too big some people played bingo from the buses with the aid of an intercom system. A new extension was added in 1977 which gave the hall ample capicity to cater for bigger number of patrons. New offices to the front of the hall were added in 1987.
In 2014 with financial help from Lisheen Mine major work including replacement of the asbestos roof with a slate roof, extension for toilets and storage and a complete new heating and electrical system.
Great credit is due to the first committee to have the foresight to start bingo and to be available each Thursday evening to help.
The current committee are as committed to keeping up the good service to the community and will celebrate fifty years of bingo in Templetuohy with a special bingo on Thursday September 13.
The committee thank all their patrons for their support over the fifty years and sadly many of them have gone to their eternal reward.