Our photo- thanks to Rosemary !- shows Denis and Selma Harrington, Tom Mulligan and the rest of the gang of about 35 who turned up for an enjoyable sail on the canal barge in July. Because of canal works to the west, we took the easterly route and a wee look at Dublin Bay before an excellent lunch on board. Nice to meet Michael Brennan there (the property developer from East Africa), and long time ago old colleague, Philip Mooney, formerly US, now Wicklow-based well known dealer in Irish bank shares.(He got out before your Editor !)
Culture
Always the best night of the year, this year Nostalgia Nite will be on Friday, November 30, at the place where great plans were laid to save the economy when at the depths of its distress..the M1, Merrion Inn.
Marjorie will provide details to all CTT Alumni email list this week, but indications are that the AGM will begin at 6.45 pm, Drinkies at 7.30 and a great meal at 8.15.
A big attendance is expected. Paul Sheridan has already booked his flight from Australia ! The committee requests, kindly, that you indicate your likely attendance to a committee member in advance, (preferably well in advance), so that a suitable supply of quality food can be booked.
Do not let this opportunity pass, etc. Dress nicely. Blasphemy not permitted at tables.
This is one of the events not to miss ! . Always great fun and this year, November 24 th, was as good as any previously.
Fifty seven alumni attended- many first attending the 2017 AGM- the minutes of which are available by application to Chairman Frank- and superb food- a two course dinner !- was supplied in the Merrion Inn, upsatirs room. Treasurer John even allocated a free drink too, for all paid up members. Just a terrific evening. Great to meet Paul Sheridan, all the way from Australia and Anthony and Monica Cooney, regular attendees fr0m Cologne. Don’t miss it next year, lads. ! (Thanks, Geoff, for the photos!)
(Sorry, lads…Maybe someone can tell me how to place these images two abreast??)
As time marches on, it seems we receive news more frequently of former colleagues who have
passed through to the better place. Sadly,in the recent few weeks, we have had such reason to
remember Sally Scott, Paddy Jordan and Maureen Frawley
Sally Scott was widely loved and admired, both in her many years in CTT/ Head Office and later, as a
regular attendee of Alumni events. The following memorial is supplied by Marjorie McHenry, Anne
Kennedy and Nancy Downes:
Sally came to CTT when the Whiskey Campaign was launched (early 1960s). Sean Gallagher was in
charge and Biddie Greene was involved. Sally worked to Biddie for the campaign. They got on
so well that Sally, Biddie, Nancy and Clodagh Doyle planned a ski holiday together. They were
invited up to Sally’s mother’s house every Sunday to prepare for the holiday where they
practised their moves and knitted fairisle jumpers. Unfortunately Sean was unable to let
Biddie take the time off, so they went without her. Arriving in Kitzbuehl, they were treated
like VIPs in the hotel because Peter Needham, then CTT-Germany manager got wind of their plans
and sent a case of wine to the hotel. Also a beautiful bunch of flowers arrived for Clodagh
from an anonymous admirer (so she said and then marred him).
Sally worked for Michael Clarke for many years. She also worked for Sheila Hussey and Martin
Sheridan and later with Gerry O’Brien and Paula Keogh – tied into the Exhibitions Department
headed by Percy Lovegrove. Here she showed real CTT spirit – get the show on the road no matter
what.
Her love for her “boys” (her three poodles) was well known. At the Summer barbeque when
talking to Marie Gill and Nancy, she announced she was going to get a new dog – her three walks
a day were auspicious, as her friends in the neighbourhood missed her and raised the alarm. Sally knew the local business people well – she useto bring around Christmas lunch for the
guys who had to work in her local garage! Sally was a “real trooper”
Paddy Jordan joined CTTY in 1963 and was posted to the New York office to work under Dan
Scully. Fintan Keogh worked with him there and tells me:
“Paddy and I shared a small office in the Irish Consulate building, 33 E 50th street. Our boss was
“Mr. Scully.” Paddy and I shared a broad portfolio of product sectors. . I don’t know how successful
we were but we spent happy times together. He loved to pull the odd prank not least on our exceedingly
tolerant boss !
I can’t recall dates but Paddy then moved back to Dublin and must have been one of the first
into Paris for a few years before moving up to Brussels office. After 3/4 years he was back in
Dublin and later joined Lissadel Towels. He then moved to CII after about 4/5 years.He made his
mark in the Food and Drinks section and of course was instrumental in getting CII companies to
sponsor young graduates to gain work experience and language skills across Europe.
Paddy was an accomplished pianist and church organist”
For those who haven’t already seen it, an obituray appeared in last weeks Irish Times. Here is
a link to it, but apologies for the reproduction. and right-click to choose Rotate to read it
upright!
Maureen Frawley worked in our New York office from the late 1970s to, I believe, the nineties.
She was alsways the smiling, helpful and modest member of staff (and totally reliable and
efficient). One of those people you love to have on a team and who seems able to absorb any
stress calmly and pleasantly. At the time, I was aware that Maureen had a connection to the
theatre/ acting profession, but she never talked about it, never promoted herself. But in fact,
Maureen was an accomplished musician, a gold-medal winning singer at an early age, a choirist,
with the Pan-Am and other choirs, an actress, on famous stages and, along with her husband
Bernard, a performer and collaborator with some of the greatest personalities in theatre in
the US and elsewhere for most of her life. (Thanks to Biddy Greene for help with this)
This was described beautifully in her eulogy by her daughter Oonagh, at her burial in Blainroe,
Co. Wicklow recently. A copy of it is placed in our archive, and you can access it via this
link.
We rememebr them with sadness and joy. May they rest in peace. RIP.
I was surprised and delighted recently to receive a flyer from the Donegal Historical Society promoting an interesting local history session in Killybegs, on the topic of early Irish christianity, and especially the design of early crosses and iconography. (I have a theory that the first stone crosses were actually Viking !) (But you know me..)
The expert lecturer in Killybegs was none other than our old friend and colleague Alf Monaghan, promoter of Irish exports to the Danish (and Icelandic and Greenland ) markets and later senior economic adviser to the Curacao and then other governments. Alf was team leader of multi million dollar economic development projects , for many years, in places such as Egypt and Syria, where he developed an interest in and studied early Christian/ Coptic religions.
He tells me he has lectured in about 50 different places in Ireland in recent years, on aspects of the early Christian church in this country, its origins before St. Patrick and , especially, its connections to the Middle and Near East. And with impressive conviction!
His next lecture will be in Enniskillen on October 27 and I strongly recommend it. Here’s a link to some information about it and something about Alf himself, and his very supportive aide, wife Mary.
I invite Alf to use this site to keep us informed about his lectures. Maybe we can make a side-bar banner for him to promote the activity. And, the same banner offer is open to all ex-CTT colleagues to use in promoting their own current major activity or interest.
Here’s the short but good fun programme for this year, so far. (Golf and tennis will also be on the menu, but arrangements to be confirmed by John and Geoff)
May 23: Visit to the battle of the Boyne site.
Details (transport, et) to be confirmed. But, anyway, please signal your interest by emailing Contact Us on this site
July 28: Midsummer B B Q on the Cill Airne on the River Liffey
Details, content , etc will follow soon. Watch this space. Always good fun, this one.
November 24 : Nostalgia Night at the Merrion Inn
The best way to prepare for (or even skip) Christmas. A powerful night. We even nhave overseas visitors, regularly. And if you’re looking for existential meaning, loads of it here
Details for all of these are to be confirmed. But the dates are set, so you can place them in your diaries. And please signal you interest in attending by “reaching out” via Contact Us, the menu item atn the top of the Home page.
It really was good. Held after the AGM, with an attendance of c. 60 ex colleagues, upstairs in the Merrion…very well organised by Barbara and Marjorie…The association donated a free drink to get everybody started, so to speak, and many then went on quite a long time. Quite correctly too because some had come a long way for the event.
There was a very good turnout from overseas, including Katrin Bernhardt and her husband Wolfgang Pietz from Germany and Anthony and Monica Cooney- haven’t aged a day !- Anne Tormey from the Cote d’Azure, Helmut Klissman from Germany and the Cote d’Azure and Katrin also has a house in Grasse, Cote-d’Azure…hey !- what’s the story on the Cote d’Azure…is it fashionable or something?…Maybe we need to form a branch there and meet up yearly for a week or two and take in the beach at Cannes, dine among the tall pines of the hills around Grasse and join the locals in their midnight opera singing (- for that’s what they do, believe me !) Great too to see Paul Sheridan all the way from Australia…Sorry, Paul, about the rugby result the following day. I probably missed a few, as I was tucking into excellent food- really good and great value!. I just have a couple of photos, to give yall the flavour. Never mind the quality, feel the flavour.
Geoff MacEnroe (2nd right) kindly submitted this report:
Richard, Frank, Sean, Martin and myself discussed the wonderful years spent at Lansdowne House and Merrion Hall, including the evacuation from Beirut office during the 1970’s and our contacts with prominent Irish business men including, Tony O’Reilly, Michael Smurfit and Sean Quinn.
Outings organised by the Alumni Committee in recent years remembered included the visit to Congreve Gardens in Waterford, New Grange and Titanic Quarter in Belfast. It was felt that if outings to Kilkenny and the Irish National Stud in Kildare were organised in 2016, they would be well attended.
It was agreed that as far as TTT evenings in the Merrion Inn are concerned, “Size doesn’t Matter” Quality is more important than Numbers attending.
For a very nominal fee, receive an illustrated lecture delivered by a specialist on stained glass and the works of famous Irish artist, Harry Clarke. (One of his life long patrons lived near the spiritual home of CTT- the Merrion Inn..Mr Jacob, of biscuit fame, lived on Ailesbury Rd.)
The lecture, specially prepared for CTT Alumni, followed by a tour of the gallery’s stained glass collection and of the Francis Bacon studio, begins at 11.00 sharp on Thursday Oct. 15, at the Hugh Lane Gallery, Parnell Square North. EMail: Brian@Netsso.com to confirm your participation.
