On October 31’st, Halloween, Speakeasy Toastmasters held their fun/scary meeting in Chapel Lane, Mallow. The Halloween theme began, as we were welcomed at the door by Sergeant at Arms Ellen Broderick and Count Dracula, aka Elaine O’Donovan. President Pat Sexton welcomed us and promised us a scary meeting which was obvious as there was an abundance of Witches, Warlocks, scary masks, Jack O’Lanterns, nuts (of the edible type), apples, a little Red Devil and a blood soaked, bandaged Phantom lurking in the shadows.
Pat passed control of the meeting to Toastmaster, Winnie the Witch, aka Mary Buckley, (we think). Winnie explained the her duties for the evening and introduced Topics Master, Bríd O’Keeffe and Timekeeper, Count Dracula (Elaine)
First to the Lectern was, yes, another witch, Angela Sheehan with a speech entitled
“Vampires, A pain in the neck”. “Vampires are not just for Halloween you know, we have been around for a very long time” began Angela who said that vampires may be all around us and gave us some signs to look out for. The person wearing the polo neck may be hiding bites or the person who won’t smile as they may be hiding large incisors. Even a name is a giveaway, said Angela and in Speakeasy there are some dodgy Toastmasters for instance, Bury (Barry) Mc’Carthy. Mikill (Michael) Cronin to name but a few. Angela brought us through the history of Vampires and specifically the Irish connection plus lots more nuggets of information on Vampires in general and finished with a number of Vampire Jokes.
Angela’s speech was evaluated by Eileen Corkery.
Next to the lectern was Dermot Meaney who was giving his first speech from the Storytelling Manual and it was entitled “Oiche Shamhna”. “Trick or Treat, Smelly Feet give me something nice to eat” said Dermot. We can lay the blame for the whole Halloween ritual of bonfires, pumpkins, masks and trick or treating on our barbaric ancesters “who we fondly call “the Celts””. The Celts divided the year into two seasons. The Summer season which began on the first of May which was celebrated with the festival of Bhealtaine and the winter season in November which was celebrated with the festival of Samhain. Dermot brought us through the fascinating history of Halloween from the Celts to the present day.
Dermot’s speech was evaluated by Michael (the devil) Cronin.
Dermot was followed by Jerry Mulcahy with a Speciality Speech in which he read the JBKeane story “The Scubble Thing” from the Book, “A Collection of Irish Stories for Christmas”, The story was about Martin and Mary Scubble who did not have any children but whose house was always full of life with people working on the bog calling to them regularly They were very happy together all year round with the exception of one night around Christmas when their personalities changed completely. The young people of the locality knew this and they used to conceal themselves outside the Scubble’s house for what was an annual argument for Martin and Mary Scubble and a party for the young people of the area.
Jerry’s speech was evaluated by Michael Dongegan.
The next Speakeasy Toastmasters Meeting is on Thursday Nov.14’th and the following members will be presenting speeches, Deirdre Lenihan, Mieháel Mc’Mahon, Elizabeth O’Brien, Barry Mc’Carthy and Jeremiah Roynane. Toastmaser for this meeting will be Seán Lynch, Topics Master Mary Stack and Timekeeper Ray Ryan.
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
Thursday, November 28, 2002
Thursday, November 21, 2002
21 Nov
The Speakeasy Toastmasters Club held another very successful meeting in Chapel Lane, The Hibernian Hotel on Thursday Nov. 14’th. President, Pat Sexton opened the meeting and welcomed the 33 members and guests and handed control of the meeting to Sean Lynch who was Toastmaster for the evening. Sean ran the meeting in his own personal and efficient style. He explained his function as Toastmaster for the evening and said that the person who holds the gavel at a Toastmaster’s meeting controlled the meeting. Just to let us know he controlled the meeting he produced, from a holdall (Jimmy Cagney style), a rather large water pistol and fired a few “shots” into the audience just to let us know he meant business.(He did, as the person who dropped a coin during the meeting found out).
Sean then introduced Mary Stack as Topics Master for the evening and Ray Ryan as Timekeeper.
First to the lectern was Deirdre Lenihan who was making her first speech in Toastmasters. This speech is called an “Icebreaker” whose purpose is to introduce a new member to the Club. Deirdre’s speech was entitled “A Sporting Life”. Deirdre was born in Dublin on the first day of spring and from a very young age was interested in sport. In secondary school she became involved in sports like basketball and tennis so that by the time she sat her leaving “PE seemed to be the only positive career choice for a sports mad teenager” After 3 years in college she qualified as a PE teacher. Sport plays an important part in her family life and her eldest son is an international gymnast. “It is not to be the best but to try to be the best should be your goal in life” she concluded. Congratulations to Deirdre on completing her “Icebreaker” and members are eagerly awaiting her future speeches.
Deirdre’s speech was evaluated by John Dillon who was making his very first speech eveluation.
Next to the podium was Micháel Mc’Mahon with a speech entitled “Before the Magdalene Years”. Mieháel’s speech told the story of Hannie a 15 yr old girl from a family of 10, who worked as a dairymaid on a farm near Croom Co.Limerick in the year 1895. Hannie and her friend Jenny got up at 4.30 am every morning to milk the cows and then had their breakfast of gruel and bread. A boy who worked on the farm raped Hannie and when her condition showed she was let go and got a place in the workhouse in Croom. “One of the undeserving poor. A deaf pregnant pauper”. Micháel traced Hannie’s life from her abandoning her baby to being arrested in Limerick and being brought back home to Kiskeam. Her grieving for her baby to rearing her sisters baby, to her death. A sensitive story told in Micháel’s very own style.
Margaret O’Regan evaluated Micháel’s speech.
We then had a speech entitled “Girl with Pearl Earring” from Barry Mc’Carthy. “My name is Greit, I am Dutch and I am 74 years old” began Barry. As went on to tell the story of Griet, a 16-year-old Dutch girl who becomes a maid in the house of the painter Johannes Vermeer. Her calm and perceptive manner not only helps her in her household duties, but also attracts the painter's attention. Though different in upbringing, education and social standing, they have a similar way of looking at things. Vermeer slowly draws her into the world of his paintings - the still, luminous images of solitary women in domestic settings.
Barry’s speech was evaluated by Jacinta O’Connor who is a member of Fáile Toastmasters in Charleville.
The next meeting of The Speakeasy Toastmasters Club will take place in, as usual, Chapel Lane, The Hibernian Hotel on Thursday 28’th November at 8 pm sharp
On the Speech Programme is, John Holmes, Michael Cronin, Rita Foley and John Dillon. Speech Evaluators will be Mary Buckley, Jerry Mulcahy and Pat Duggan.
Toastmaster for the evening is Angela Sheehan and Topics Master is William Healy.
General Evaluator is Noel O’Connor and Elaine O’Donovan, Sergeant at Arms.
Members of the public are as always very welcome at 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
Sean then introduced Mary Stack as Topics Master for the evening and Ray Ryan as Timekeeper.
First to the lectern was Deirdre Lenihan who was making her first speech in Toastmasters. This speech is called an “Icebreaker” whose purpose is to introduce a new member to the Club. Deirdre’s speech was entitled “A Sporting Life”. Deirdre was born in Dublin on the first day of spring and from a very young age was interested in sport. In secondary school she became involved in sports like basketball and tennis so that by the time she sat her leaving “PE seemed to be the only positive career choice for a sports mad teenager” After 3 years in college she qualified as a PE teacher. Sport plays an important part in her family life and her eldest son is an international gymnast. “It is not to be the best but to try to be the best should be your goal in life” she concluded. Congratulations to Deirdre on completing her “Icebreaker” and members are eagerly awaiting her future speeches.
Deirdre’s speech was evaluated by John Dillon who was making his very first speech eveluation.
Next to the podium was Micháel Mc’Mahon with a speech entitled “Before the Magdalene Years”. Mieháel’s speech told the story of Hannie a 15 yr old girl from a family of 10, who worked as a dairymaid on a farm near Croom Co.Limerick in the year 1895. Hannie and her friend Jenny got up at 4.30 am every morning to milk the cows and then had their breakfast of gruel and bread. A boy who worked on the farm raped Hannie and when her condition showed she was let go and got a place in the workhouse in Croom. “One of the undeserving poor. A deaf pregnant pauper”. Micháel traced Hannie’s life from her abandoning her baby to being arrested in Limerick and being brought back home to Kiskeam. Her grieving for her baby to rearing her sisters baby, to her death. A sensitive story told in Micháel’s very own style.
Margaret O’Regan evaluated Micháel’s speech.
We then had a speech entitled “Girl with Pearl Earring” from Barry Mc’Carthy. “My name is Greit, I am Dutch and I am 74 years old” began Barry. As went on to tell the story of Griet, a 16-year-old Dutch girl who becomes a maid in the house of the painter Johannes Vermeer. Her calm and perceptive manner not only helps her in her household duties, but also attracts the painter's attention. Though different in upbringing, education and social standing, they have a similar way of looking at things. Vermeer slowly draws her into the world of his paintings - the still, luminous images of solitary women in domestic settings.
Barry’s speech was evaluated by Jacinta O’Connor who is a member of Fáile Toastmasters in Charleville.
The next meeting of The Speakeasy Toastmasters Club will take place in, as usual, Chapel Lane, The Hibernian Hotel on Thursday 28’th November at 8 pm sharp
On the Speech Programme is, John Holmes, Michael Cronin, Rita Foley and John Dillon. Speech Evaluators will be Mary Buckley, Jerry Mulcahy and Pat Duggan.
Toastmaster for the evening is Angela Sheehan and Topics Master is William Healy.
General Evaluator is Noel O’Connor and Elaine O’Donovan, Sergeant at Arms.
Members of the public are as always very welcome at 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
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