Athlone Toastmasters Club
Meets in the center of Ireland. Athlone Toastmasters provides an excellent platform for practice, direct feedback, and developing top-tier speech skills.
When and where
Athlone Toastmasters Club meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 8:00 PM. That works out at roughly twice a month. It meets in a function room at the Prince of Wales Hotel, Church Street, Athlone, Co. Westmeath.
Times and venues do move, particularly at the start of a new season and around bank holidays, so it is worth confirming the next date with the group before travelling.
What to expect
Athlone Toastmasters Club follows the standard Toastmasters meeting format, which runs to roughly two hours. Prepared speeches come first, where two or three members deliver something they have worked on in advance. Then table topics, where anyone present can be invited to speak for a minute or two on a subject they have not seen before. Then evaluations, where a member gives structured feedback on each prepared speech.
Nobody is made to speak on a first visit and guests are not singled out. The usual pattern is to come along two or three times and watch before taking any role. Guests attend free; if you decide to join, Toastmasters membership involves international dues plus the club's own costs, and the club will explain the current figure.
Most Irish clubs run a season from September to May and go quiet over the summer, so it is worth checking the club is sitting before you travel to Athlone.
Who it suits
People who want to get better at speaking in front of others, whether that is for work presentations, a wedding speech or their own confidence. Members range from nervous first timers to people who have been doing it for years.
Going along
The group's own site carries the current schedule and contact details. The link is on this page.