SRUTH na hÉirne rounded off its year of activities with its annual Irish-language quiz, held in the upstairs function room of Charlie’s in Enniskillen.
A total of 65 people attended from across the region, including a group of Gaeilgeoirí from Omagh who boldly admitted that they were in Enniskillen, on a spying mission, having heard of last year’s quiz night.
Organisers had hoped to create teams with a mix of ages, but members of Sruth na hÉirne’s Club Óige opted to compete separately, with 16 girls herding themselves into one corner and an eight-strong boys’ team lining up in direct opposition.
The quiz consisted of five rounds of questions ably being given out in Irish by Daire Keown of Monea and his mother Sharon, an evening teacher of Irish in Trillick.
Even seasoned Irish speakers found themselves ‘scratching their heads’ trying to identify TV celebrities in the picture round.
Prizes of Gaelic-inscribed cups, donated by self-confessed quiz addict Councillor Tommy Maguire, went to the St Michael’s College team.
Teacher Martin Gormley was credited with helping, as was ex-St Michael’s lad, Gaeilgeoir Donal Óg Lynam, now a translator in Brussels.
Sruth na hÉirne chair Jim Ledwith said, “It’s a chance to meet and discourse through Irish and have fun at the same time.
“What’s brilliant is that the social night is organized on the basis of a ‘meitheal’ i.e a gather up of people who want to share their common interest— the language.
“People brought food, Club Óige sang Christmas songs through Irish and several Club Óige members willingly played traditional music together with the ever faithful Gaby Mc Ardle.”
The raffle raised funds for Club Óige, led by Róisín McQuaid, with volunteer leaders Shey Meehan and Eabha Meehan.
Over 109 pupils from four schools have attended weekly Club Óige sessions at Fermanagh House since mid-September.
Looking ahead to its 20th anniversary in 2026, a minute’s silence was observed in memory of Sruth na h’Éirne’s first chair Oliver McLoughlin and long-time attendee Eamon Goodwin.
