Members of the Cork Branch AGM Organising Committee

(L to R)  Back row: Nuala Buckley, Liam O'Longaigh, Pat Browne, RSTA President Henry Collins.  Front row: Treasa Healy, Maire Ní Laoghaire, Rena Hennessy.

The Annual General Meeting of the RSTA took place in the Gresham Metropole Hotel, Cork on Wednesday, May 8th.  It was attended by 72 members.  Many delegates had travelled to Cork on the previous evening and enjoyed a pleasant meal together which set the mood for the following day.

The meeting began on Wednesday morning at 10 am with short talks on behalf of The Global Classroom, the St Vincent de Paul Society and the ASTI Credit Union. This was followed by a coffee break and then the main business of the meeting got under way.

There was a moment for quiet reflection during which the names of deceased members were remembered.  This was followed by the Minutes of the previous AGM, Reports from the Secretary and Treasurer and Election of the Officers and National Committee. Five were proposed, seconded and passed.  The Cork, Mayo and Midland Branches mentioned trips they are planning, details of which would be posted on the website.  The meeting drew to a close at 1 pm.

After lunch, Liam O'Longaigh led a large group on a walking tour of Cork city.  We started out in beautiful sunny weather but had several sleet showers during the course of the walk. Despite this, all who participated thoroughly enjoyed the afternnon.  Liam has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the history and customs of Cork which made his tour absolutely fascinating.  He was ably assisted by Nuala Buckley who was also an incredible fount of information on all things Cork.  As the tour ended, another downpour of rain offered the perfect excuse (as if we needed one!) to seek refuge in the English Market and indulge in the tempting offerings of the Farm Gate Restaurant.

Later that evening we were joined at the Conference Banquet by our invited guests:

ASTI President Gerry Breslin, Retired TUI Secretary Christy Conville and NASUWT/RMA former President Dr David Mahaffey

Apologies were received from:

ASTI General Secretary Pat King, ASTI Honorary National Organiser Kieran Christy and RTA Secretary Denis Desmond

RSTA President Henry Collins with guests Gerry Breslin, Humphrey Twomey and Dr David Mahaffey

The following morning there was a wonderful tour of Cork University.  The sun came out and the campus looked really splendid.  We had a very comprehensive guided tour of the campus, the Quad, the Observatory and finally the Honan Chapel.  Several stayed on for lunch in the Students' Dining Hall before heading home.

It was a really pleasant visit to Cork and our sincere thanks are extended to the members of the Cork Branch for all their hard work in organising the event.  The warmth of their hospitality and the wonderful fellowship and collegialityexperienced by the delegates as they shared meals and conversation will long remain in our memories.