Month: January 2023

Annual General Meeting, Wednesday,  25  January 2023

Omagh Probus Club held its Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, 25th January 2023 in Omagh Golf Club with 16 members present. This was the club’s first AGM since before the pandemic, and an opportunity for President Michael Cooney to step down – an opportunity which he welcomed after three challenging  years in the post.   In keeping with established practice Vice President, Hugh Ward, was elected President unopposed to take up the reins of the club in the modern era. Felim O’Neill gladly gave up his position as Treasurer to become Vice-President, with responsibilities for the Club Programme.

Out-going President, Michael Cooney, needed some persuasion to become Club Treasurer, but was prevailed on to take a job in keeping with his professional background in local government. The remaining offices were filled “en bloc” with current post-holders re-appointed. Alastair Orr stayed on as Secretary and Jim McBain retained his post as Public Relations Officer and Archivist. The new committee wasted no time in getting down to work, drawing up a programme for the rest of the year, including an Inter-club Table Quiz, the Annual Outing and the Christmas Dinner 2023.

Wednesday 4th January 2023: Speaker Rev Liz FitzGerald.

Traditionally Omagh Probus Club invites a member of the clergy to bring a New Year message to members at their first meeting in January. This year’s address was given by Rev Liz FitzGerald, daughter of Michael Pollard, a founder member of Omagh Probus and a staunch supporter of the Club throughout his retirement. Rev Liz took as her theme a quotation from Albert Einstein. “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow; the important thing is to not stop questioning.”

Using photos from family life and her own ministry, Liz shared her journey for schooldays in Omagh Academy to graduation as a Physiotherapist and employment in the Health Service. Along the way she met and married a merchant seaman. Her husband, Sean FitzGerald, is well known in our community as a recently retired Captain with Stena Ferries, and active member of Omagh’s Rotary Club – of which Liz herself is a past President.  Their shared interest in Rotary has seen both achieve high office, Sean is currently District [All-Ireland] President and Liz is District Secretary.
Throughout though, the Church has been central to Liz’s life and this was the focus her talk to Probus. After many years as a Lay Reader she was persuaded to candidate for Ordination in the Church of Ireland and today is a priest with four churches to look after in the parishes of Gweedore and Templecrone in County Donegal. None of this has distracted her from the other loves of her life – her family, her children and her Labradors. Describing herself as “ourdoorsey” she finds peace up hills, on the water [Lough Erne] and beside the sea.