Community Involvement

Culture

• Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann: Member since Greystones group founded in 1997. Learned to play tin whistle. Represented Wicklow in Fleadh Cheoil 2000 in Mullingar.
• Siamsa Fhéile Pádraig: Founder member, 1983. Greystones’ Annual Celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.
• Irish: Irish speaker, helps with Irish Mass, including serving as a Reader and singing in the Irish Choir.
• Toastmasters International: Toastmasters International offers a communications and leadership programme and is the world’s leading organisation in effective oral communication. Member since 1996. Served twice as Secretary for the Dublin Area, once as Secretary for Ireland and the UK and once as Bray Club Secretary. Duties for all three posts included helping to organise Conferences, keeping minutes, preparing Club, Division and District reports, preparing, printing and distributing Division and District Newsletters. I was also a member of the team which traveled to the USA in 1999 and 2000 and promoted the successful election of an Irish Toastmaster to the Worldwide Executive from which he was elected International President in Atlanta, Georgia in August, 2003. A non-US Member has only held this position twice previously since 1924.

Youth

• St. Brigid’s National School, Greystones: Garden Committee, 1983-1992.
• St. Catherine’s Special School, Newcastle: Helped children with swimming, 1984-1992.
• Mothers, Babies & Toddlers: Helped initiate drop-in mornings,
  1986.
• St. David’s Secondary School, Greystones: Parents’
  Association, 1983-1985. Initiated & produced Chalkdust, the school
  Newsletter.
• Greystones Summer Project: 1982-1987.
• Greystones Youth Club: 1982-1986.
• St. Kevin’s National School, Greystones: Secretary, Board of
  Management, 1981-1982.

Community

• Fianna Fáil: Current Chairman & former Secretary – Seamus Ó Riain Cumann, Blacklion, Greystones, Co. Wicklow.
• Greystones Town Council: Elected to Greystones Town Council on the first attempt in June, 1999. Currently serving on the Greystones Town Council Development
  Committee and am now Chairman of the Greystones Town Council Community Affairs Committee, which organises the Christmas Lighting Ceremony and the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. As Chairman of the Community Affairs Committee, I publish the Greystones Weekly Calendar of Local Events, which is widely circulated in the town. Also on the Board of Wicklow County Tourism and the Greystones Town Council representative to the East Coast- Midlands Regional Tourist Authority. Served for a year on the Wicklow County Development Board.Have been an active Member of the Greystones Town Council, attending every meeting and submitting the maximum number allowed of two motions at each meeting, many of which have been influential in progressing events and developments in Greystones.
• Parish Committee: 1996 to present.
• Dublin Diocesan Women’s Forum: Deanery Representative, 1996-1999.
• Rathdown Park Residents’ Association: Secretary, 1982-1983 and 1994 to present.
• Civic Person of the Year: Greystones Town Commission, 1997.
• Greystones Community Action on Drugs: Information Programme, 1983-1984.
• Meals on Wheels – Cook and driver, 1975-1987.