Omagh delegates address Rotary Ireland conference

FOR the first time in three years, Rotary Ireland members celebrated a return to full in person events by staging an action packed and highly successful annual conference in Derry recently.

The conference, which was entitled ‘Imagine Rotary’, promised a fun-filled and educational weekend to the over 200 Rotary members and guests who attended and it didn’t disappoint.

Former ship’s captain, Sean Fitzgerald, the new District Governor of Rotary Ireland, who is a member of Omagh Rotary Club said the feedback from members and visitors to the conference and the city had been overwhelmingly positive.

“This was a great opportunity for attendees to embrace the fellowship of Rotary while also learning about and exploring the delights of the northwest region. We had people here from all over the island of Ireland, some of whom hadn’t been here before and they were just so impressed by the conference, the city, and the warmth of the welcome they received.”

The list of guest speakers included Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Cllr Sandra Duffy, broadcaster Joe Mahon, Tim Atwood from the John and Pat Hume Foundation, historian Richard Doherty and John Campbell and Cathy McCaul from Omagh Rotary Club, who all gave well received presentations.

Another key speaker was Dr Michael E McBrien whose presentation on the work of Mercy Ships and the life transforming surgery the organisation offers to thousands of people in developing countries free of charge moved many attendees to tears. Dr McBrien, a consultant anaesthetist at the Royal Victoria Hospital Belfast since 1997, has served on nine occasions with Mercy Ships in Africa for periods of two to three weeks.

Several year ago, Rotary members from Britain and Ireland were involved in a Rotary Foundation Global Grant of $1.25 million with Mercy Ships to fund equipment for the latest addition to their fleet, the Global Mercy, and training for African medical professionals.

The conference was co-hosted by the Rotary Club of Derry and Rotary Club of Omagh. The event concluded with a black tie dinner, charity auction and live music.

Rotary

Rotary Ireland is a community driven, humanitarian service and membership organisation with clubs in every county in Ireland. It currently has 68 clubs on the island with some 1,700 members. In the early 1980s, Rotary International played a key role in the elimination of polio, while more recently and closer to home, Rotary Clubs have raised substantial funds for Ukraine as well as for local charities and healthcare facilities.

If you are interested in joining Rotary Ireland or would like to learn more about it, please go to Rotary in Ireland (rotary-ribi.org).