2018 Dublin Business Lunch

The annual Business lunch organised by the Union, Dublin branch was held in Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club (FLTC)  on 19th October 2018.

This year’s theme for the event was “Networking” and was led by the very capable keynote speaker, Mr William Burns.

Please click here to see photos from the lunch.

Photos courtesy of Pat Hanratty

Union President Fergal Keane’s business lunch speech

“Dublin Branch Chairman – Liam Nicholl, Former Union Presidents  – Too Numerous to Mention, Union Secretary – Katherine Donovan, Ladies, Guests and Fellow Pastmen.

It is an honour and privilege to be here today at the Dublin Branch business lunch where so much history has taken place. Just to let you know it is my second function as President of Cistercian College Roscrea PPU.

I know that the only reason why I was asked to be President of Cistercian College Roscrea PPU is because of BREXIT – the powers that be did not want the London Branch to cede from the Union and go it alone unlike the UK. I sincerely hope that Brexit will not interfere with the free travel arrangement that exists at present between UK and Ireland after 29 March 2019. For my part I will try and ensure that the cordial relations that exist between us at present will continue to exist after BREXIT takes place and the UK leaves the EU at 11pm on 29 March 2019, irrespective of how the UK views “the 27” and that no hard Border will exist between us.

As Chairman of the second oldest branch of the Union, I send you warmest greetings from all pastmen based in the UK. As you are aware the London Branch holds its annual dinner in “even” years the night before Ireland play England at Twickenham. For the past 10 years the venue has been The RAF Club, Piccadilly. In alternate years there is no fixed date as there is no match taking place the following day. However, next year we are lucky as England play Ireland in a rugby world cup warm up match in Twickenham on 24 August at 3pm. It is a big possibility that the London Branch dinner will take place the evening before once again in the RAF Club. Details will follow. I urge you all to try and attend and give your support to our dinner. You will not be disappointed with the surroundings and the hospitality that is on offer and you might even win a pair of tickets for the match. Katherine I am placing my order for tickets now.

If this function is anything to go by the Dublin Branch of the Union at least is going from strength to strength. I congratulate the Committee for all your efforts and hard work especially all that was done in organising this function today. I urge all the other Branches of the Union to try and find out what the Dublin Branch are doing and can we emulate and copy it.

I would urge those Past Students present who know their former classmates who are in the UK to contact me so that we can ensure that we obtain their details and try and get them engaged in London Branch activities. The same applies to the other Branches.

The reason why we are all here is I believe that we enjoyed the time we spent at CCR. We had good experiences however we all know of someone who for whatever reason believes they did not have such a good experience and consequently do not want to have anything to do with the College and hence the Union. The Union is not the College and the College is not the Union. I would like to ask everyone here who knows of some such person to try and get them to come to a Union function and try and reconnect with their classmates and other Past Men.

To finish can I ask all of you to stand and raise a toast to Cistercian College Roscrea PPU and particularly to our Alma Mater Cistercian College Roscrea.

Thank you”