Our 25th Anniversary
Guests at 25th Anniversary Dinner
During 2010 there was plenty of talk as to how we should celebrate this milestone. We decided that we would have a gala dinner as the major event and an organising sub-committee was formed, consisting of Gina Robbins, Jo Curran and Maura Sheehan. The second event would be a walk from the lovely Vale of Laragh to historic Glendalough.
The walk – which took place on Sunday, May 15th – did not require a lot of organisation. IHHA members on that day included the ever-youthful Ken Edwards, ouroriginal President. A good time was had by all, not to mention lots of healthy exercise, and we picnicked at the Upper Lake on sambos and African wine!
Early in 2011 we started looking at various venues for the dinner. I was in favour of the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire, having attended the EFHOH dinner there a couple of years ago. However, we needed a member to book it for us. Peter Derbyshire came to the rescue and Gina and I went to meet him there one Saturday in March, where the catering manager greeted us. We viewed the function room, lovely and impressive, with a balcony overlooking the harbour, discussed menus and numbers and eventually settled on Friday,20th May as our D-Day.
We then worked on the format. The evening would begin with a wine reception but we racked our brains as to what we might have as entertainment. Gina came up with the magic formula: a mime artist called Rueben. All we needed now was for IHHA members to buy the tickets and slowly but surely, with a few panicky weeks to go, we got our numbers to sixty-five.
The great day arrived – a lovely sunny day – and Gina and I were at the National Yacht Club at six-thirty that evening. The tables were already beautifully laid out,Maggie Fitzgerald,our president, had brought along some lovely helium balloons, so all we had to do was wait for our sixty-five attendees to arrive. We had a number of founder members there, including our special guest of honour, the IHHA’s first President, Ken Edwards, who arrived with his lovely wife, Diana Erskine Hill, and our current Vice-President, Michael Tighe. We were also honoured by the presence of the gracious Kate Byrne, a founder member who travelled all the way from Waterford for the occasion. Everyone mingled and chatted during the reception and wandered out onto the balcony to gaze out at the lovely yachts in the bay.
Our President, Maggie, gave a nice informal few words and then we sat down to what I can only call a scrumptious meal. My mouth waters when I think about it! For starters, an appetising and delicious seafood platter, then a refreshing summer fruit sorbet followed by melt-in-the mouth Wicklow lamb. Then Rueben took to the floor and performed some hilarious mimes. He was a hoot and all were in stitches of laughter. After this came our assiette des deserts (for non-Francophiles: a plate of mini deserts), each one really tasty, followed by coffee.
I cannot finish without mentioning the style: everyone dressed in best bib-and-tucker. All agreed it was a night to remember. The only thing I was sorry about was that we had very few country members. I had obtained an excellent rate from the Kingston hotel across the road but no IHHA members availed of it.
To all who attended and sent emails – a big thank you. I think it is fair to say that everyone really enjoyed the night; I certainly did. Last but not least, to all the catering staff in the National Yacht Club a huge thank you for the excellence of the service and attention to detail.
Maura Sheehan
