Get stuck in.
The club’s your oyster!
Schedule a once-off gathering or become a regular organiser for your local area
Click RSVP to any member scheduled
gathering that tickles your fancy
Send an message to another brekkie clubber in your area or anywhere in Sydney
Get notifications into your email inbox when a gathering is scheduled
Meet some lovely locals over a cuppa in the sunshine!
Join up to schedule or event an brekkie club gathering today :)
Gallery: Annual BYO bbq brekkie
Copyright: SBS Feast Magazine
Photographer: Alan Benson
From the horses mouth!
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“Fantastic. It's a great idea. Really brings folks together. it's always good craic.”
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“A great way to meet other singles, couples and families. We will definitely be attending more meet ups.”
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“Great idea, well organised & great craic.”
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“Fabulous, friendly & fun as always :-) ”
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“Great medium to meet up with like-minded people and have a nice chat!”
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“The best around!”
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Why?
At the moment, the club lives on Meetup.
If we move to a different platform, however,
we’ll need to send you our new e-newsletter!
Why does the Irish Brekkie Club live on Meetup?
Aborunt faccus, simetur. Nos velest labore volorem sus et etur, in peliquatur siniene denimus, quis eture sit lam, int, volo berum enissimus est. Aborunt faccus, simetur.
Important update: Aug 2020
For the past 12 months, the Irish Brekkie Club on Meetup has been run by two new organisers. Events have largely focussed on pub-based/evening events for single (straight) members, promoted across multiple Meetup groups. While we fully support any positive efforts to build community on the awesome Meetup platform, we must let the 1,100+ Irish Brekkie Clubbers know that the nature of these events are sadly at odds with our core purpose – and the all-inclusive (couples, families and singles; straight and LGBTQ+), self-organising and non-commercial ethos – of the club since 2009. We're hoping for the matter to be resolved asap and return the club on Meetup to it's original goal of facilitating local catch-ups in Sydney for those who wish to celebrate – and stay connected to – Irish culture, along with their Aussie and from-wherever pals.
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All good things start with tea
The idea for the Irish Brekkie Club began between two friends over eggs on toast at Poppy's café, Rozelle, one sunny Sydney morning in August '09. Dee and Sinéad had been classmates in primary school back in Dublin. They'd lost touch since then and fast forward a couple of years... randomly bumped into each other at Sounds on Sunday back in '05.
Within fours years of that chance encounter, they'd jumped into Aussie citizenship with gusto and ticked off the usual Sydney shenanigans of the first few years. They now shopped for sunnies, travelled 'overseas' and embraced flip-flop as thong.
Alas one thing had fallen by the wayside in their Aussie lives; a cultural connection with their original homeland, on the ground in Sydney. Aside from their own beloved Aussie and from-all-over pals, they craved the odd cuppa Barry's, Tayto sambos and Rubberbandits references in the company of those who also spoke 90 miles an hour. Along with higher culture of course. "It's time we took action", they resolved at Poppy's that morning. "Who doesn't like a banter over brekkie?" The Irish Brekkie Club had officially slurped its first cup of tea.
Cue a cuppla live radio interviews with Ryan Tubridy (listen to the interview below) and the Gerry Ryan show... and off it went. A steady stream of sunburnt freckly faces appeared out of the woodwork for the first brekkie and continued to grow from there. Dee popped two sprogs two years later, moved to the south coast and bid adieu to the group for the time being. Killarney girl Andrea joined as Sinéad's wingwoman right away and the pair continued together for almost three years, until Andrea's departure for London in early 2013 (where she launched her freelance writing career with a feature article for the Irish Times).
As of 2019, the brekkie club had grown to 1,200 members. 80+ gatherings have been self-scheduled by the members themselves on the Meetup club page (including a bunch by the original founders), linking people up in their local parks, cafés and the odd pub – from all walks of life and backgrounds; singles, couples and families.
So if you fancy yourself as a bit of a world citizen and like the idea of blending your original Irish roots with your freshly-juiced Aussie identity, join up right now and get your fix of high-speed chats over a sausage sambo. Hope to see you soon :)
Play the Tubridy Show
live radio interview
It's Sydney! Get out there into the sunshine *kick out the door*.
The members (brekkie clubbers).
Firstly; to provide Irish folk – happily integrated into Sydney life – the opportunity to schedule and attend gatherings in their local area for a quick fix of brekkie, tea and banter. Secondly; to bring members' friends together – be they Aussie/expat/from-wherever – and celebrate the best of both cultures. Preferably at a sizzling barbie, under a nice shady tree.
Gatherings are self-scheduled by individual members – brekkie clubbers – who live all over Sydney (NB: all gatherings are strictly non-profit). Whether you fancy a low-key café gathering on a Saturday morning or a last minute bbq brunch in your local park, jump in and give it a go. With 1,000+ members, you're bound to meet a few fellow Tayto-hoarders living in your neighbourhood. Go ahead, join up and schedule one yourself, or just click 'yes' to the next one that tickles your fancy. So easy even your Granny could do it. Aside from scheduling/attending gatherings, members also receive the odd newsy email and can email any other brekkie clubber directly from their profile page. Bit more info on the above under 'How does it work?'
Crisps; yes. Weather; no. And when it comes to the rugby, it's head to toe in green all the way. We shout for Oz just as loud, so long as we're not head-to-head ;) Truth be told, there's loads to love about both Irish life (old friends and family usually top the list) and Aussie life. Living in Sydney offers us the fantastic opportunity to meet, work, laugh and learn with others from a multitude of backgrounds and cultures. The warmth of the people, the food, the music, more festivals than you can shake a stick at, nevermind the sunshine; there's always something happening to expand the mind and nourish the soul. In short; the Irish Brekkie Club is all about striking the best balance for those who happen to be fans of two cultures, at opposites ends of the planet. We love getting together, swapping stories and havin the craic - preferably out in the sunshine, over that quintessential Aussie institution – the Big Brekkie. Come join and celebrate the best o' both worlds.
Whether you live for Guinness, can't play Gaelic to save your life, or prefer just a dash of diddleedee in your life – this is the best place to meet a diverse bunch of others. Perhaps like you, they've been here a good while and have already established palships/relationships with other Aussies/from-wherever friends. Others may have just arrived fresh off the boat... or get a wee bit homesick from time to time. Loads of members have yet to set foot inside an Irish bar and by the same token, some love the odd pint at PJs. It's up to you to schedule and attend gatherings and make the most of the club. We're a friendly bunch. So long as you don't steal the last rasher.
Age-wise, the majority would be early-late 30s, with a bunch of twenty and forty-somethings too. Otherwise, it's both lads and lassies / singles, couples and families / north and south / straight and gay... the list goes on.
For sure, you're more than welcome! The primary purpose of the club is to provide an opportunity for Sydney-integrated Irish – most of whom already enjoy strong friendships with other Aussies – to get their fix of Barry's and a quick chat with others in the same boat whenever they feel the need. While the majority of brekkie clubbers are Irish-born, the club is also open to anyone who identifies as Irish / has a third-cousin-twice-removed from some town beginning with Bally / is just generally interested in world culture. If you too like copious cups of tea, don't need subtitles to understand the accent and are familiar with 'craic', you're in.
Join up to stay in the loop!
Nothing. The club is free to join. From time to time however, we do a wee bit of fundraising to cover ongoing expenses such as Web hosting fees and Meetup Dues. Through the years we've also donated to Oz Harvest, Australian Red Cross (Good Start Breakfast Club), Vinnies and the St Patrick's Festival Commitee.
* PS: Please bear in mind that gatherings are strictly non-profit. If business/networking is more your cup of tea, the Young Leaders network and Lansdowne Club do a fantastic job with events throughout the year.
We're big fans of the arts and culture, as well as beautiful/sustainable
stuff made locally in Ireland and Australia.
Sydney Festival
Music, theatre, dance, visual arts
and installations, talks, free &
family events. It's big. This is
our city in summer.
Mardi Gras
Floats, Kylie, Fun.
Vivid Sydney
Every year in May, Sydney is transformed
into a spectacular canvas of light, music
and ideas when Vivid takes over.
Sydney Writers Festival
Sydney Writers' Festival is Australia’s
largest annual literary celebration in May.
Festival of Dangerous Ideas
A sell-out annual event in November,
presented by the Sydney Opera House
and St James Ethics Centre.
Dinosaur Designs
The answer to "where can I buy
a Sydney-ified wedding pressie
to bring back to Ireland"?
Deus Ex Machina
Delicious custom-motorbikes
(for hefty budgets) and lovely
tees & threads (for humble ones).
Mambo
Surfy, arty Aussie brand with
a healthy gaggle of loyal fans.
Pentimento
Specialist book and gift store located
in the heart of Newtown, Sydney.
Elk
Leather wallets, veggie-dyed jewellery,
nice threads. For both ladies and gents.
A bit like the Orla Kiely of Australlia.
Electric Picnic
Annual arts-and-music festival, staged
since 2004 at Stradbally Hall in County Laois.
Cat Laughs Comedy Festival
Kilkenny's mischievous but much-loved
cat returns to the medieval city each year.
Dublin Dance Festival
Brings together dance artists and
choreographers from across the world
to share vibrant contemporary dance
with audiences in Ireland.
Galway Oyster Festival
Food festival held annually in Galway
on the west coast of Ireland on the
last weekend of September, the first
month of the oyster season.
Jameson Dublin Film Festival
Ireland's premier feature film festival
taking place each year in February.
George's Street Arcade
Europe's and Ireland's oldest shopping
centre, located in the heart of
Dublin city centre.
Avoca
An Irish family-run business that started
as a handweaving mill in 1723 and still
makes the best lambswool throws around.
Designist
Dublin design store, offering a wide range
of nice things to bring back to Sydney!
Makers & Brothers
A Curation of Everyday Design & Craft.
The Best of Irish & International.
Graphic Studio Gallery
Tasty prints to roll up and pop in
the suitcase :)