Writes Blathnaid O Brien
There were may firsts in 1996. The first episode of Ballykissangel aired, which would later bring Colin Farrell to our screens, Patrick Guillbauds was the first restaurant in Dublin to be awarded two Michelin stars, TnaG was launched with Ros Na Run and Disco Pigs was premiered in Corks Triskel theatre.
More locally both Good Fish and Crosshaven Boatyard were founded and to top it all off Cork Week had a record attendance of 486 boats with 3,360 participants! We were all singing “The Voice” (Eimear Quinn) and celebrating Ireland's 7th win at the Eurovision song contest.
And most importantly of all Carrigaline Toastmasters was founded with the first president being Geraldine McCarthy (RIP). Meeting every two weeks the club’s mission was to provide a supportive, positive and fun environment in which members could develop their communication and leadership skills. Members would present their speeches on selected topics at each meeting helping them grow in confidence and knowledge.
As we all know time flies and fast forwards to 25 years later; Carrigaline Toastmasters is still going strong. Today's club still meets every 2nd Monday at 8pm, albeit virtually. Embracing Zoom has opened up a whole new audience and often there are Toastmaster club members from Australia, UK, Japan and USA joining the meeting. How people present has changed too, from in person to on camera. Carrigaline Toastmasters members still have the original ethos: own the stage whenever you present. The club welcomed 3 more new members during 2020 and is continuing to grow.
To celebrate Carrigaline Toastmasters 25th Anniversary there’s a virtual Zoom celebration meeting taking place on Monday 15th March starting at 8pm. All guests are welcome regardless of membership status. If you were a member of Carrigaline Toastmasters and have a story you’d like to tell please do let us know!
There is no charge for this meeting and the night will be an informal affair where we share topics, memories and stories as we celebrate our great little club's big milestone. Whether you attended a few meetings to help with your Best Man speech or you were a long-standing member, we would love to see you there! Feel free to wear your finery on the night too.
There’s a special invite for this meeting on the Carrigaline Toastmasters Facebook @CarrigTM and Instagram @carrigaline_toastmasters pages. Follow these pages for regular updates and meeting links.
Carrigaline Toastmasters is looking forward to welcoming you to the celebrations on Monday 15th March at 8pm. Register to receive your ticket at: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/carrigaline-toastmasters-25-year-anniversary-tickets-141673424025
All are welcome!