History was the central theme of the recent meeting of Speakeasy Toastmasters Club - be it momentous events, unusual characters or the sad history of Jerry O'Callaghan's left knee!
It all began in August 2016, when the hapless Jerry experienced a severe pain in the aforementioned joint. Immediately, he was transformed into Long John Silver as he hobbled about with a crutch and soon became "Hop Along Cassidy". The Witch Doctors advised that "poitin almost definitely might work". It would have been better if he drank it! And the hot poultice left him with a burnt sore knee. The consultant in Tralee General removed a large lump - from his wallet! And then, knee replacement became inevitable. In a scene reminiscent of "Game of Thrones", Jerry recalled how his knee was "cut with a hacksaw and hammered with a sledge". But all was well until the Morphine wore off! Thankfully, Jerry has made a full recovery and his speech was the essence of "Humour" - moments of chaos recalled in tranquility.
Philip O'Brien of the Bandon Club brought history to life with "73 Seconds - Disaster in the Sky". He recalled the dark day in January 1986 when the Space Shuttle, The Challenger exploded on it's launch. Philip provided fascinating information around this tragic event which claimed the lives of seven astronauts. The Shuttle Programme cost 210 Billion Dollars in total, with each launch costing 150 Million Dollars. And yet, it was something as simple as a faulty rubber seal which lead to the fatal explosion. On board were specialist astronauts, including Christine McAuliffe who was the first teacher in space. Her role was to broadcast to US schools and encourage an interest in the Space Programme. Ronald Reagan's eulogy for the crew of The Challenger was his finest ever speech.
It was a case of "from the tragic to the surreal" as Michael Cronin recalled the story of "Barnum's Bounty". Michael's told the almost unbelievable tale of James F. O'Connell who became the star attraction at PT Barnum's 1842 freak show - American Museum. He was the tattooed man. He claimed to have been shipwrecked on Caroline Island in the Pacific and saved himself from immersion in the cooking pot by impressing the Ponepean Tribe by dancing Irish jigs.For his reward, he was tattooed from head to toe by a bunch of "voluptuous virgins", one of which was the Chief's daughter who he was forced to marry. Eventually, he escaped the Island by boarding a passing ship and found his way to New York and celebrity.
Finally, Debbie Looney of Killarney Toastmasters presented a talk on the New Toastmasters educational programme called pathways. This programme focuses on the key aspects of Toastmasters - communication, leadership and mentoring members to achieve their potential.
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| Left-right: Philip O' Brien, Debbie Looney, Michael Cronin & Jerry O' Callaghan. |
A key ingredient of each meeting is the Speech Evaluation. Ray Ryan, Sean Corcoran and Bobby Buckley provided positive, detailed and motivational feedback to all the speakers which should prove beneficial in future presentations.
The genial host of the meeting was Noel O'Connor who conducted proceedings with ease and relaxed his audience.
In his role as Topicsmaster, Tim Aherne led an impromptu discussion on subjects as the coming of spring, age friendly parking, the tax inspector, the Brexit and Trump elections and the French habit of kissing on both cheeks. The Topics Session helps to sharpen the skills of interpersonal communication which we require on a daily basis.
At the Meeting's conclusion, awards were presented to Jerry O'Callaghan - Best Speaker, Sean Corcoran - Best Evaluation, and Michael Donegan - Best Topic.
Speakeasy will host a 25th Anniversary Celebration in the Hibernian Hotel, Mallow on Friday 2nd March. Tickets available from Club Members or at the door on the Night. Meanwhile, our next Club Meeting takes place on Thursday 8th February at 8.00PM.in the Hibernian Hotel.
For more information, please check out our website, speakeasytoastmasters.com or on Facebook. Alternatively, please contact President, Helsa Giles - 0838858848.
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