Eyes down! Celebrating 50 years of bingo success in Callan!

ABOVE: Callan Bingo Committee: Ber Fitzgerald, Hazel Hennessy, Bridget O’Brien, John Kerwin, Philomena Fitzpatrick and Kathleen Doheny. Missing from photo: Patricia Kerwin

Bridget O’Brien is the committee chairperson and her first involvement with the bingo was selling raffle tickets there when she was 12. The weekly game had already ‘been going a long time then.’
“It was great, because you got out on a Sunday,” Bridget remembers.

In the very beginning Callan bingo was a community effort, with many groups involved. As time went on it came under the parish. At that time ‘everybody played bingo,’ Philomena said.

It has always been a charity endeavour. But there is what’s seen as a ‘business’ side. The bingo has to bring in money to cover costs and provide funds to the parish.
When it comes to this management side of the things the committee have established a good operation.
“You put the people first,” Philomena shared their secret of success. “Without them coming in there is no bingo. People have a laugh and the craic. It’s all about the people and that’s about the size of it.”

Unlike in the ‘old days,’ players also care about the size of prizes. A couple of bingo operations around the country closed because of ‘bad prizes.’ Prizes are monetary and if the prizes offered don’t attract players, then they’re bad.
“We have to encourage people to come in,” Bridget said. Extra prizes are given out at Christmas and Easter, along with free raffles.

In Callan it costs €6 for a book of numbered grids that lets you play for the night. Each book has 10 pages, with three games on each page - thirty chances to win.
Once you have your book the games start at 8pm sharp. If you match all the numbers on a line you win a prize. Then it moves on to matching two lines, and so on.

If you’re feeling lucky you can then buy extra ‘sheets’ for some extra games. One of these is for a ‘Snowball’ prize that goes up €10 each week until someone wins. The last Snowball winner took home more than €600.
There is a prize for a ‘pool number’ during the night, and last week this roll-over prize had reached €645. There’s also a ‘split the pot’ draw with three prizes.

Bridget said you would have everything you want for a night at bingo for €20, and you can spend less.
“You should come, it’s a good night out,” Philomena. “It’s exciting. Although it can be frustrating too if you’re waiting for one number!”

Callan Parish Hall currently welcomes around 100 players every Sunday but has the capacity for more than 200.
You can just turn up on the night (doors open shortly after 7pm) or even go along to observe if you’ve never been to bingo before! The organising committee would love to see new faces coming along and say that the more people play bingo in Callan the bigger the prizes will be! Click on the the next page for more photographs!