Letter from National President Hilda Roche – August 2021
A Cháirde,
I hope you are all enjoying some quality time with your family and friends during the summer and that you have been able to reconnect outdoors with your ICA friends. I really hope that we will be able to get back to our Guild and Federation meetings in the Autumn, with social distancing and adhering to all HSE advice, government rules and guidelines and where we are with regard to Covid. The really successful roll out of the vaccinations has made a big difference. If Guilds and Federations are able to meet, then it is of course a personal choice whether to attend or not.
Our
wonderful college is looking splendid, so do plan a visit. An Grianán has completed
and been awarded Fáilte Ireland Covid Safety Charter and has been awarded
Fáilte Ireland Certificate of Tourist Accommodation Approval. Well done to
Niamh and all the staff.
Your officers, National Executive Board and National Advisory Committee have
been busy with training and meetings. The NAC has elected Ann Lonergan South
Tipperary Federation President as Chair of the NAC and Mary O’ Gorman Kildare
Federation President has been elected Vice Chair of the NAC. I wish them well
in their new roles. We are looking forward to our new CEO Eufemia Solinas
starting on 6th September. Eufemia is originally from Sardinia and
has been living in Ireland for the last 18 years. She is an experienced CEO and
brings a wealth of experience and knowledge of the Non Profit Charity
sector….exciting times ahead.
Over the past number of months we lost two former national Presidents,
Eva Coyle from Donegal and Mamo Mc Donald from Monaghan. They will always be fondly remembered in ICA. At Mamo’s funeral I was told by her family that when asked what she felt was the best thing she did during her ICA presidency, she said visiting all twenty seven Federations and every single Guild all over the country during her three years. There would have been many more Guilds then than there are now, but I want to follow her example and would love to visit all Federations and Guilds at some stage over the next three years le cúnamh Dé.
Tabhair aire daoibh féin agus dá chéile.
Take care of yourselves and one another.
Hilda Roche