Birthday wishes with a French twist: Alliance Française Limerick celebrates 80th anniversary

ONE OF the oldest 'Alliance Française' in Ireland celebrated its 80th anniversary in Limerick this week.

Alliance Française Limerick has been promoting the French language and culture on a non-profit-making basis in the Limerick region since 1944.

Formerly, it was known as 'Le Cercle Français' ('The French Circle'). Today, Alliance Française Limerick is the oldest of five Alliances Françaises in Ireland.

On Thursday, February 29, the charity celebrated its 80th anniversary at The Commercial, on Catherine Street. 

They currently offer high-quality French language classes at competitive rates to approximately 120 students of all ages and all levels thanks to a dedicated team of teachers, all of whom are native speakers.

Thanks to a partnership with 'Les Enfants Francophones de Limerick', another not-for-profit association based in Limerick and Ennis belonging to the French-government-approved FLAM network, Alliance Française Limerick also hosts activities for children of different nationalities whose mother tongue is French. These take place every Saturday morning at the Alliance HQ at No. 7 Pery Square.

As part of the Department of Education and Skills’ Primary Sampler Module, French language introductory courses are currently being offered in addition to extracurricular activities for primary schools in and around Limerick.

Alliance Française Limerick is run by a committee of volunteers currently including president Jill Cousins, secretary Paul O’Brien, treasurer Michelle Daly-Hayes, pedagogical coordinator Ruth Bracken as well as cultural coordinator Loïc Guyon, and board members Lorna and Randel Hodkinsons.

On top of its language classes, Alliance also offers a range of cultural activities, such as the annual Limerick Wild Geese Festival and the Très Court International Film Festival.

At the event on Thursday, the Mayor of Limerick, Councillr Gerald Mitchell, congratulated the current and past boards of volunteers at the helm of the organisation and reminded the gathering that, since Brexit, France had become Ireland’s closest EU neighbour.