Newcastle Lions get ready to celebrate 40 years of service

2 July 2025

NEWCASTLE Lions Club is marking over four decades of continuous service to the people of the town and its surrounding areas.

To celebrate, the club are holding a dinner in the Burrendale Hotel in Newcastle on Saturday, July 19.

One of their members, Marian McGreevy, will be honoured by receiving her chain of office as the District Governor of all the Lions Clubs in Ireland – a tremendous honour for both Marion personally and for Newcastle Lions Club.

At the final Newcastle Lions meeting of the year, Marion presented Newcastle Lion Peter May with his chevron for 40 years of service.

Peter is one of two current Newcastle Lions who were original members when the Newcastle Club received its Charter 40 years ago.

The local club is part of Lions Club Ireland, which includes just under 100 clubs across the island of Ireland.

As part of the world’s largest volunteer service organisation, the club continues to grow in strength and purpose serving with compassion, and a deep commitment to the community.

Rooted in the Lions Clubs International motto of ‘We Serve’, the club brings together local volunteers from all walks of life who dedicate their time and talents to supporting those in need.

The club is proud to deliver support in the local community, including monthly monitoring and maintenance of 10 defibrillators, which were bought and fitted in various locations in the neighbourhood, including Castlewellan.

The club also regularly collects and sorts used spectacles collected from local opticians, the library and recycling centres for use in developing countries.

Annual events include their recycling day and Daisy Dander for Daisy Lodge, and they offer support to a range of foodbanks and other local organisations.

The club’s work is collaborative, inclusive, and entirely voluntary – every penny raised goes directly to the local community and they cover all of their administration costs by their membership fee.

Newcastle Lions already have a busy schedule for 2025/6, and welcome new members to assist in their growth.

One of their upcoming events will be a quiz to raise funds for the Air Ambulance this Friday at 9pm in the Harbour House Inn.

This is to add to money raised during the Lions’ street collection held last month.

The Air Ambulance is not government-funded and relies on support from the public.

Newcastle Lions Club president John McDonagh said it had been a “fantastic year” to celebrate the club’s 40th anniversary.

He said: “We are so pleased to have contributed our time again to our local and district community.

“Thank you so much to the people of the Newcastle area for their brilliant support.”

Anyone wishing to attend the anniversary dinner can email the club at lionsnewcastlecodown@yahoo.co.uk.

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