Australia’s oldest Irish Club, The Celtic Club in Melbourne, could soon have an impressive new home, but its location is being kept secret.
The club presented a slideshow of concept plans for the venue to members at its AGM at the Victoria Hotel in Melbourne last month.
The slideshow gave details of the concept for a new venue, as well as new branding and logo design.
The club emailed members and posted on their website and Facebook page in December saying: “Thank you to our members that attended the 2023 AGM at the Victoria Hotel in Melbourne on Sunday 3rd December, followed by our Christmas drinks and afternoon tea celebration. Along with the order of the day, Mr Rob Clifford presented a slideshow to members of our new venue concept and branding.”
They added: “This is a very exciting time for our Celtic Club members and although we are legally unable to disclose the exact location of the venue for another few weeks, we are working hard in the background to deliver the warm and welcoming club that our members have waited so long for”.
The new branding concept includes a logo with two intertwining ‘C’s and a slogan in Gaeilge, ‘Ní neart go cur le chéile’ (there is no strength without unity). The branding concept “reflects the rich history of the Irish in Australia, the great contribution made to our society and the unique relationship between the two nations”.
In the concept plan, the new club venue will also be a high-street bar and brasserie venue, to provide a commercial base for hospitality operations. The ground-floor bistro and bar would be called The Wild Geese and would be open to both members and non-members. The Wild Geese is described as “a quintessential Irish pub, with great food, entertainment and welcome”.
There are also concept plans for a members-only bar and function rooms on level one. This area would host a large range of Irish whiskeys, and members would be able to hold whiskey in private lockers.
Four rentable function rooms would cater for a wide array of functions and events.
According to the plans, club members are being offered the opportunity to sponsor a piece of history prior to the opening of the venue. Members can sponsor a piece of furniture. The members’ name and county would be engraved on a naming plate and attached to the item.
On December 5th, the Celtic Club hosted Ambassador of Ireland, HE Tim Mawe, Irish Abroad Director Aidan Cronin, Deputy Head of Mission Daniel Lowe, and ABC sports journalist Catherine Murphy, along with some of their members, at a luncheon to present and discuss their new venue for the home of the Celtic Club in Melbourne.
The club posted on social media saying: “Rob Clifford presented our new venue design and concept, detailing our plans and strategy for the new club venue, with the Ambassador and his guests offering their full support and assistance to work with us on a successful launch and promotion of the Club in the coming months.”
The Celtic Club sold its former home in Queen Street in 2016.
The club bought The Limerick Arms in Clarendon Street in 2021 and held functions there while leasing out the bar.
Celtic Club management added: “We will keep you informed of the progress of the venue in the coming weeks.
“The future is bright for our Celtic Club community and there has never been a better time to thank existing members for their support and welcome new members to the club.”
Click on this link if you would like to support the club by joining.
You’ll find details of the concept plans and read the club’s news updates on their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/themelbournecelticclub and on their website at www.celticclub.com.au
*This story was published in the January edition of Anglo&Celtic magazine
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