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