The People of Athlone Exhibition Launches with a Strong Community Turnout
The People of Athlone exhibition was officially launched last Thursday night on the ground floor of Athlone Towncentre as part of the RTÉ All Drama Festival.
The event was warmly attended by members of the Athlone Photography Club, many of the volunteer portrait subjects, and members of the local community — all gathered to celebrate the people who give Athlone its unique character.
The evening was opened by Frank Keena, Mayor of Athlone, who praised the initiative as
“a very positive project that showcases the real heart of the town.”
He also expressed his personal enthusiasm by offering to pose as a model for a future edition of the exhibition.
The Launch event dignitaries
Claire Mulvihill, Marketing Manager of West Midlands Credit Union; Frankie Keena, Athlone Mayor; and Liam Kidney Chairman of Athlone Photography Club.
Also speaking on the night was Claire Mulvihill from West Midlands Credit Union, the exhibition’s generous sponsor. Claire highlighted the importance of community-led projects like this one and expressed how proud the Credit Union was to support it through their Community Support Fund.
“This exhibition beautifully captures the heart of Athlone — its landscape, its environment, and most importantly, its people,” she said. “It’s initiatives like this that help celebrate and strengthen our town’s cultural identity.”
Claire went on to say that while the Credit Union’s name may have changed following its merger with St. Jarlath’s, West Midlands Credit Union remains firmly rooted in the town.
“We’re still your local credit union, with the same local faces and the same commitment to our community,” .
She added.
“A huge congratulations to everyone involved in bringing this exhibition to life. We’re proud to support the vision and creativity of Athlone Photography Club.”
The exhibition features 39 environmental portraits of local people — photographed in their homes, workplaces, and everyday settings — capturing moments that reflect the diversity and vibrancy of the town. The portraits will remain on display until 18th May 2025.
Speaking at the launch, Liam Kidney, Chairman of Athlone Photography Club, noted that the project is still in its early days.
“This is only the beginning of what we hope will be a long-term archive of the people of Athlone,”
“We’ve been blown away by the support and enthusiasm already, and we’re excited to grow this project year on year.”
The club is now inviting the wider community to get involved. Whether you’d like to be photographed, suggest someone who should be featured, or even join the club as a photographer or supporter, we’d love to hear from you. You can reach us by email at athlonephotographyclub@gmail.com or message us on Instagram or Facebook: @athlonephotographyclub.
Athlone Photography club members
From left to right; Morgan Fagg, Phillip McLoughlin, Karan Stuart-Trainor, Dawn McManus, Sean Ganly, Claire Mulvihill Marketing Manager of West Midlands Credit Union, Liam Kidney Chairman of Athlone Photography Club, Frankie Keena, Athlone Mayor, Moyra Tangley, Matthew Gleeson, Toine Siebelink, Pat McKeon, Brian Fag, Sebastian Rolland