Celebrating a decade of progress at Bandon's Funky Fish youth café

IT was standing room only in the Funky Fish Youth Café in Bandon on Saturday night last as a large crowd of young and old gathered to celebrate the project’s 10th anniversary. 

The atmosphere was up-beat as the audience was treated to performances by young people from the café. 

There was music, feedback of what the café has meant to them, a slideshow of highlights from the last 10 years and an awards ceremony for outstanding young people. 

Garda James O’Mahony, juvenile liaison officer, stressed the importance of the project for the Bandon community.  

The Funky Fish, he said, provides a model to other communities on exactly how youth cafés should be run. After refreshments, the adults departed to leave the young people continue their programme of celebrations into the night. 

The event was organised by a planning committee of young café members – Antoinette O’Keefe, Shannon Curran, Saoirse O’Sullivan, Melissa O’Regan and Chris Collins, with support from café co-ordinator, Keith Kingston.