"Deadly Funny" Speak Easy's Humorous Speakers

It was indeed deadly funny, and this week with his account of the preparations for a wake in bygone days, Liam Flynn won the honour of representing Speakeasy Toastmasters at the Area final in the Firgrove Hotel, Mitchelstown on Tuesday 16th October 8pm. Claire O Connell gave a witty original account of what is currently regarded as “fabulous,“ not forgetting the pre-fab and wanna be fab! There were many wry smiles at Mary Moynihans’ clever depiction of the “driving test blues.” Kindness itself at the end, the examiner asked the applicant if they needed a drive home… Pat Connolly regaled us with a lovely tale of how the high jinks of youth can put us on the road of personal discovery. No audience member will ever look at flag day collecting in quite the same way after Michael Cronins hilarious and unique take on that experience and the well acknowledged bounty of the Irish people. There was plenty of wit also in the topics contest, the topic being, -”what aspect of your personality do you value most?”. Pat Sexton, Sean Corcoran, Pat Duggan and Liam Flynn, bravely held forth on their virtues and Pat Sexton will represent Speakeasy at the Area Final. The winners of the Area Final then go on to the Division A Final in the Oriel Hotel Ballincollig on October 21st. Speakeasy was honoured by the visit of the Area Governor, Michael Sheehan, who was warmly welcomed by our President Jerry Mulcahy. Bridie O Connell was a very relaxed topics master for the evening. Jerry O’Callaghan performed the important timekeeper duties. Proceedings as a whole were ably chaired by Division Governor Ray Ryan as Contest Chair. Anne Buckley supervised the judging, with Rona Coghlan and Ronan Condon counting votes. As usual all were warmly welcomed to the meeting by Marie Lyons, Ronan Condon and Mary Moynihan, our sergeant at arms, or guest greeters. Speakeasy toastmasters meets at 8pm,Hibernian Hotel Mallow on every second Thursday night, next meeting is on October 18th. Guests are most welcome and are never asked to speak. Contact Jerry 0863752895,or Noel 0872427485. "Follow us on Facebook "Speak Easy Toastmasters", on Twitter "@speakeasytm" and on our blog "http://speakeasytm.blogspot. www.speakeasytoastmasters.com

Kieran's Story

Kieran Butler joined Speakeasy Toastmasters after participating in the annual schools contest. As he explains,-it was a good idea. Imagine you are standing at a podium in front of a large audience. You are nervous, so nervous that you forget what you are going to say, you stand there motionless, the awkward silence deafening. Sounds nightmarish doesn’t it? So many of us view the thought of speaking in front of a crowd as a task to be shied away from, avoided. We feel that if we speak in public we will make a mistake, embarrass ourselves. These fears are normal. But isn’t it a pity when we have something to say but can’t because we are too nervous, isn’t it disempowering? Speaking in front of an audience and feeling anxious is normal, and guess what some of the greatest public speakers in history, were incredibly nervous before they went on stage to give a speech Some years ago I came across a book by Dale Carnegie, How to Develop Self Confidence and Influence People by Public Speaking, London, 1990. On reading this I learned that some of the most famous orators in history, Lloyd George, Abraham Lincoln, Charles Stewart Parnell, all were very nervous before addressing an audience. Parnell in particular used to suffer from such intense anxiety prior to a speech, that he clenched his fists so hard that it would cause his fingernails to sink into his palms until his palms bled. Now I know that is an exceptional case, the point is that regardless of who we are all of us feel anxious and a bit self-conscious before giving a speech especially if we haven’t given one before. Toastmasters is the place to go if you want to overcome your fears about public speaking and learn how to feel calm and confident in front of a crowd whether it be at conference, a party a wedding. Speakeasy Toastmasters is a warm and welcoming club. I felt that warmth the first time I attended a meeting. The Club is ready to extend a very warm welcome to guests and always ready to offer encouragement and support to those who want to improve their public speaking abilities. A Speakeasy Toastmasters meeting is an enriching environment where you can broaden your horizons and augment your skills. It’s a place where you can enjoy yourself, have a chat around a cup of tea/coffee and make great friends. Speakeasy toastmasters meets at 8pm Hibernian Mallow on every second Thursday night, next meeting is on October 18th. Guests are most welcome and are never asked to speak. Contact Jerry 0863752895,or Noel 0872427485. "Follow us on Facebook "Speak Easy Toastmasters", on Twitter "@speakeasytm" and on our blog "http://speakeasytm.blogspot. www.speakeasytoastmasters.com