PHOTOS: The Stella Bingo Celebrate Fifty Years in Limerick City

The Stella Bingo Celebrate Fifty Years in Limerick City.
Brian Mitchell, Patrick Bird, owner and Noel Horrigan at The Stella Bingo. picture: Cian Reinhardt/ilovelimerick

The Stella Ballroom was first opened for dancing in the mid-1930s. It was a great venue for dancing and one of the best-known venues in Ireland. While under the McDonogh family it witnessed the great days of the dance orchestras and early showband era, with great acts from Mick Delahunty and Jimmy Shand to the Clipper Carlton and Donie Collins performing.

In the early 60s, the Stella closed for dancing until the Bird Family purchased it in September 1966 and reopened it in December of that year. Throughout this time bingo remained a popular constant in the Stella and patrons of the popular game still come into the Stella on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday evenings for a game.

The Stella Bingo celebrates fifty years in Limerick City with a week-long celebration which includes double prize money, a customer appreciation night and an accumulator jackpot of almost €1,500.

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Over the half a century The Stella Bingo has been in Limerick City, the family run business started out as a disco hall, which saw names such as Elton John and U2 grace the halls.

The Stella Bingo Celebrate fifty years in Limerick. LBC dance at Stella Ballroom in November 1959

Not many venues could boast a packed out hall on a wet Wednesday evening nowadays – but the hall is now filled out by bingo players, some arriving an hour before the games begin to reclaim their usual seat.

The regular customers get settled in, young and old, the players sit chatting waiting for the games to begin. Patrick Bird, whose family own the business, is walking the hall making small talk with the customers, a relaxing atmosphere where it feels everybody knows one another.

I pick up my booklet, and take a seat with some people willing to teach me the game – I explain to them the only other time I played the game, I screamed out ‘check’ when I marked a line only to find out I needed the full house to win. An embarrassing moment – but one I learned from.

Peggie Connors, her daughter and her partner showed me the ropes, which book to mark and when. I was in good hands and pleasant company, needless to say, they got a laugh out of my bingo horror story, but they made sure it wouldn’t happen again.

The games began and quietness fell over the hall, The Stella Bingo has the heart racing as on a couple of games I came up just two numbers short of a tidy sum of money. A break in the games and the chatter resumes in the hall.

The Stella Bingo Celebrate fifty years in Limerick. Peggie Connors, Kay Hughes, Maria Hoare and Anne Kennedy at The Stella Bingo. picture: Cian Reinhardt/ilovelimerick

“I come here because it is a nice night out for me – I have been coming here for thirty years now, “ said Peggie Connors during amidst the chatter during intermission. Miss Connors added, “I have made many friends here, it is nice to see them here every week.”

‘All the two’s – 22’ a hush falls over the hall once again as the players concentrate on their bingo cards for the game ahead. I take this opportunity to speak to Patrick Bird:

“It’s great to see it reach fifty years; I’m the third generation of my family to run the place now. Hopefully, there will be another three generations, another fifty years to come.”

Mr Bird spoke of how great it was to see the regular faces that he has become used to over the years, adding, “as you look around you see a lot of new people, it’s standing the test of time as well, which is what we want.”

The Stella Bingo celebrate fifty years in business on Wednesday 14, Friday 16 and Sunday 18 of September.

You can find more information on The Stella Bingo here.
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