Thurles Lions Club was founded in 1964 under the sponsorship of Cashel Lions Club.  With a charter membership of 25 members, the Thurles Club has grown to a membership today of over 50 members.

Membership of Thurles Lions Club is a diverse mix from the local community – a club of men and women ranging in age from the 20s to the 80s with a mix of experience, nationalities and backgrounds.  Any member can propose a project or cause for consideration within the club.  The Club works on a subcommittee basis with a subset of the members responsible for addressing particular projects.  The whole membership then gets behind the specific projects as required.

Friendship and comradery within the club is the key to its success and it’s not unusual to find members meeting for coffees or getting together outside of the formal club activities.  The club meets once a month and each meeting is typically followed by a few social drinks and a chat amongst the members.  Each Lion year is also punctuated with a handover social night in July when the new Club president and officers take over for the next Lion year and in late October/early November when the club celebrates the anniversary of its foundation with a Charter Night dinner and dance.

The Club is well respected and receives tremendous support from the Thurles community and it never ceases to amaze us with the generosity of the people of Thurles.  In any one year, Thurles Lions Club typically raises and distributes over €30,000.

It is integration within the community that has ensured the success of the club.