A Derry man is hoping to get other young men talking and moving this year with the launch of a new social group focussing on activities that don’t involve drinking.
Conor McDermott started the new year off by launching ‘The Walled City Social’, a new initiative for men aged between 20 and 30 in the city to get together and socialise without alcohol.
The 24-year-old said he was inspired to set up the group after noticing that there weren’t many social opportunities for young men beside going out.
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“I wouldn’t really be one to drink that much,” he said.
“It can be a bit isolating if you don’t really drink; if you’re the only one out that’s kind of sober.
“I realised that there is such a big drinking culture in Derry, so I was thinking how do we turn that a wee bit?”
While acknowledging that going out is “still a thing that people enjoy”, Conor said he was hoping to add a bit more variety to the social scene in the city.
“I thought about activities, getting people together where it’s more based on your physical and mental health and getting people socialising without [alcohol].”
“The drinking part’s just one aspect of it but it’s just, in general, getting people talking and getting them out.”
For Conor, the group could have the potential to make a positive change in mental health in young men.
“I know that kind of age group, it’s not that they don’t like opening up but it’s just that they find it tough,” he said.
“Again, it’s that generation where the people they grew up with it’s always that kind of ‘man up and don’t chat about it’ and that kind of stigma.
“It’s kind of hard to break that – so it’s just trying to break that and get people talking.”
Events such as group walks, mountain climbs and pool competitions are all possibilities in The Walled City Social’s near future.
*FIRST MEET-UP OF 2025!* I'm excited to announce the first meet-up of The Walled City Social! Join us for Coffee & a...
Posted by The Walled City Social on Wednesday 1 January 2025
The first event, a coffee meet-up, is taking place on Saturday from 12.30pm at Java Café.
“I’m a bit nervous because I could go and there could be no one there or I could go and there could be one or two,” Conor said.
“But again, if I get one or two that’s better than none.”
He said he’d encourage anyone interested in attending to “go for it”.
“If someone’s looking for a group that’s more focussed on the mental and physical rather than going out for a night on the lash and wanting to maybe make better, healthy choices and make new connections and friends, then it’s the group for them.”
