Is it worth joining a chess club?
For most players who want to improve or enjoy playing in person, yes. At Dún Laoghaire Chess Club, ordinary membership is €120 a year, about €2.30 a week, and your first night is free, so you can decide before you pay.
For that you get a club night every Wednesday, 19:30–22:30, at the Eblana Club, with sets and clocks provided. You can play in the club's blitz and rapid tournaments and the club championship, borrow from the club's chess library, and put your name forward for one of our four Leinster league teams. You do not need a rating to play for a team.
What a club gives you that online chess does not is the same opponents week after week, longer games with a clock, and stronger players who will go through a game with you afterwards.
If you only want quick games at any hour, online chess is free and may be enough. If you want to get better, play competitively or meet other players, a club is worth the money. Junior membership (under 18) is €60 a year.