Things for Blach newcomer to go to make friends.

HiberniaLG

Hey guys,
I plan to move into Blachardstown (in an area within and around 15-ish minute walk from the shopping centre) in the next month or two in order to be able to take up a job, and tbh, I would like to not just be stuck in a rut of going to work and sending the rest of my time at my place.

At least for the sake of keeping my sanity - and, you know, maybe actually meet some new people who aren't just old college friends I'd have to go through huge rounds just to see - I'd like to know what kind of groups, organisations, etc. are around the area that I could fit in an evening or two a week going to.

As I am - to be brutally honest - completely out of shape, I probably need to spend a good bit of time in the gym before I could go near any kind of serious competitive sport without embarrassing myself, so I probably would rule out experimenting with sports clubs for now.

Feel free to suggest nearly anything else - I'd probably only be able to fit in one thing or two a week max, so I wouldn't probably be able to go to everything anyway; but it'd be good to get some ideas to look into.

miamee

I've replied in your gym thread but also note that there is a Parkrun in Hartstown Park and in Porterstown Park every Saturday morning - 5k, free to run, you just need to register beforehand. They are the only two I know of off-hand but there might be others.

Several groups meet in the library at the shopping centre if you are looking for other types of groups other than physical activity. They seem to be mostly conversation groups, book clubs and parent clubs but there might be something of interest.

daymobrew

How about the weekly parkrun in Hartstown Park?
It's a free 5km event every Saturday at 9:30am that you can run, jog or walk. You will never be last because they have a volunteer "tail walker" to take that place.
You can periodically volunteer to help out e.g. time keeper, marshal, barcode scanner, tail walker, photographer.
I like that it gets me up on a Saturday morning and gets a nice bit of exercise out of the way early.
(If your place is on the southern side of the canal the Porterstown parkrun might be closer.)

Dublin Mum

Agree with the parkrun suggestions- you'll get fit and make new friends. Both local parkruns also have volunteers who organise 2 midweek runs each per week- Hartstown Meet and Train and Portetstown Panthers- you'll find details of both on Facebook.

There are also lots of community centres and secondary schools around Dublin 15 where there are evening classes in everything from exercises to languages. Look on the websites of the closest to you.

quickbeam

Without meaning to sound like a broken record but I’d recommend parkrun too. You don’t need to be any way fit and it’s a great way to meet people especially once you start volunteering too. Hartstown do monthly post parkrun breakfasts at Wetherspoon’s too. Others in the area are Porterstown (as already mentioned) and Tyrellstown.