WATCH Haven Hub and St Munchin’s Community Centre music project creates ‘Timeless Connections’

A music-themed intergenerational project called ‘Timeless Connections’ was a collaboration with the youth group from The Haven Hub Limerick together with seniors from St Munchins Community Centre and took place at the centre during June and July 2026. Picture: Olena Oleksienko/ilovelimerick

Young people from the Haven Hub and senior St Munchin’s Community Centre members celebrate the power of music with the Timeless Connections project

The Haven Hub and St Munchin’s Community Centre have joined together to display the power of music and connection through the ‘Timeless Connections’ project.

Young people from Haven Hub and senior members of St Munchin’s Community Centre took part in the month-long project celebrating the power of music.

Leona O’Callaghan, founder of The Haven Hub said they are “extremely excited” about the project, she told I Love Limerick, “We have brought our youth group from The Haven Hub who are coming together with some of the seniors here in St Munchan’s under the theme of music, but really to just do an intergenerational project, where we’re bringing the two generations together to have a chat and to connect under the theme of what music can do for you and your mental health and your mood.”

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The initiative brings both generations together through a number of activities with the help of music therapist Ann Blake, encouraging conversations around a number of music-driven topics with benefits for both young and old participants.

“The benefits of the project for the young people are that it is so good to get some wise nuggets of information from the older generation. And for the older generation, just under the theme of music, that nostalgic piece of being able to remember good times, good music, favourite songs, and seeing the differences between the two generations.”

Activities such as music bingo and live music are helping create connections between the Haven Hub and st Munchin’s Community Centre groups, with Leona explaining, “ It’s really about just getting the younger generations really comfortable around connecting with that older, wiser, wise generation, and for that avoidance of loneliness and isolation, and a trip down memory lane under the theme of music.”

Participants said they enjoyed sharing music, meeting new people and learning from one another.

Sophie, a Haven Hub Youth Group Member, said the experience has been “really nice”. She said, “ For the past three workshops, we’ve been connecting with the older generation to discuss different music tastes, and it was just really nice to share some music interests and just a new variety of music.”

Chloe, also a Haven Hub Youth Group Member, said, “I think it was nice to connect with the older generation, because I feel that the older generation can learn a lot from us younger generation, but we can also learn a lot from them.

“And it was nice to just share some time with them and just get to know each other and just meet new people.”

The project also sought to promote cultural learning, mentorship, empathy and communication, while breaking down stereotypes and encouraging face-to-face connections between generations.

 Phyllis O’Donnell, a St Munchin’s Community Centre Service User, said she joined the club nine years ago, saying, “it’s an absolutely fantastic club.”

She said, “It’s a beautiful meeting area for people, young and old, and it’s the best thing I’ve done. I look forward to it every week, and we’ve made loads of new friends, and it’s really nice here.”

 Josephine Davis, another St Munchin’s Community Centre Service User, added, “ I come to the centre because every class you do, you learn something, and you meet new people all the time. And the music, then the bingo, everything is intersocial. It’s just so nice, everyone is so nice and so helpful to me.”

The Haven Hub thanked the young people, seniors, St Munchin’s Community Centre and Creative Communities in Limerick City and County Council for supporting the initiative.

Leona O’Callaghan said, “ A massive thanks to everyone who helped make this happen, especially our amazing young people and the fabulous seniors that are here in St Munchin’s, to Linda and the crew here at St Munchin’s for welcoming us, and especially to our funders, the Creative Communities in Limerick City and County Council. We couldn’t have made this happen without the funding behind it, so thank you. It’s been an absolute pleasure, and we look forward to what’s to come.”

This project is funded by Creative Ireland and Limerick City and County Council through the Limerick Creative Communities Programme 2026.