13 March

On Thursday night March 6’th the Speakeasy Toastmasters Club held their Club round of the International Speech Contest in Hibernian Hotel, Mallow. President, Pat Sexton opened the meeting by welcoming members and guests from other toastmaster clubs. He welcomed especially non-toastmaster guests and Area Governor, John Skeates who was Chief Judge for the Contest.
Pat then introduced the Toastmaster for the evening, Pat Duggan and Topicsmaster, Kay Quirke and also
informed the attendance of the wonderful night that we had at the Sports and Leisure Awards and mentioned
the members of Speakeasy Toastmasters who were involved in other Clubs.
Toastmaster Pat Duggan then took control of the meeting and reminded us all to switch our mobile phones
on “when the meeting was over”. He explained his role as Toastmaster/ Contest Chairperson which was to
conduct the contest according to the rules of Toastmasters International and that the purpose of the contest was
“to provide an opportunity for speakers to improve their speaking ability and to recognise this as an encouragement to all. It is also to provide an opportunity to learn by observing the more proficient speakers
who have benefited by their Toastmaster Training”
The rules of the contest were, speeches must be between five and seven minutes in duration and contestants
Would be disqualified if their speeches were less than four minutes and thirty seconds or longer than seven
Minutes and thirty seconds.

A draw took place before the meeting to decide the order of the speakers and first to the lectern was
Michael Walsh with a speech entitled “Changing Your Swing”. “My speech this evening is to encourage you
To see beyond what you think you are capable of” said Michael. “We as individuals are our own worst critics, we can see the good in everybody else’s abilities before we can see it in our own”. He said that a survey was
Carried out in America in a number of schools and the school whose teachers constantly praised the pupils
Got way better results than the schools whose teachers constantly derided their pupils.

The next speaker was Sean Corcoran with a speech entitled “A Bug on a Bug”. Sean’s speech told the story
Of “The Varroa Mite” which now infects honeybees in Ireland. He traced its history from when it was first
Discovered in Honeybees in The Dutch East Indies in 1903 to it being discovered in Co. Sligo in 1998.
In a few years time the only honeybees left alive in Ireland will be those in beekeepers apiaries but only in
Apiaries of beekeepers who continuously treat their bees as there no cure for the mite as of yet.

Next to the lectern was Tim Casey with a speech entitled “Tracks In The Snow”. “The place is Canterbury,
I am walking along a country road, it’s snowing” began Tim as he told a story that began 30 years earlier.
He remembered Ralph and Fred (affectionately known as Frankenstein because he had part of his brain
removed). Bozo who used to be a clown in a circus. Eddy, who came from Cork and spent most of his time
in intuitions.

After Tim it was the Turn of Eileen Corkery with a speech entitled “Feel the Fear” “Scéin is the Irish word
For terror” said Eileen as she told us of the things that “scéined” her. “What are you afraid of?” she asked the
Attendance saying that fear is a human condition, and gave numerous things that people fear. Fear can be turned on it’s head to become a positive force in all our lives

The Table Topics session was conducted by Topicsmaster for the night, Kay Quirke. “Lent, what does it
Mean to you” she asked Micheál Dineen. “Female Vets” was the topic that Brian Ó’Farrell had to speak
For two minutes on. “Random dope testing” was the topic that she asked Tim Ahern.

Judges for the contest were, Michael Donegan (Speakeasy), Charlotte Barrett (Crusaders), Jacinta Ó’Connor
,Lillian Mulcahy and Liam Metcalf (Fáilte) and Brian Ó’Farrell (Fermoy)

Winner of the Speakeasy round of the International Speech Contest was Tim Casey with Michael Cronin, second and in third place was Eileen Corkery. Tim and Michael now represent Speakeasy in the Area Final in
The SMA Hall in Wilton, hosted by the Crusaders Club on Friday 28’th of March.

More dates for your Toastmaster Diary, Thursday 3’rd of April sees the Club holding its Tall Tales Contest
On Saturday 12’th April the Divisional Final will be held in Southcourt Hotel in Raheen, Limerick.
On Tuesday 22’nd of April there will be a Tripartite meeting hosted by Fermoy Toastmasters which will include the Area Final of the Tall Tales Contest..
Members of the public are very welcome to attend all Speakeasy Toastmasters Meetings.
For further information on the Club contact Sean on 086 6054784 or Pat 087 2364240 or visit the Club’s Website at www.clix.to/speakeasy. Email, speakeasymallow@eircom.net