Mr Sean FitzGerald

Wednesday 25 February 2023,  Speaker, Mr Sean FitzGerald

It is established practice in Omagh Probus Club, once each year to invite a speaker from the local Rotary Club.  The only break in the sequence occurred, during the lockdown imposed by the coronavirus pandemic. This year the threads of tradition were taken up by Mr Sean FitzGerald, a Past President of Omagh Rotary and currently District Governor of Rotary Ireland.

Sean’s talk was essentially the story of his life from childhood in Kilrush, County Clare to ship’s captain with Stena Ferries. Despite there being no history of seafaring in his family Sean determined at an early age that he wanted to pursue a career in the Merchant Navy.  On leaving school he joined BP and after initial training in Belfast, joined the crew of an oil tanker delivering fuel to all the major ports in southern Africa.  After some years with BP serving on super tankers on global transport routes he settled for a life on the Irish Sea, because the work rota – two weeks on and two weeks off – allowed him time at home in Omagh with his wife and family. Sean illustrated his time at sea with slides of the many ships he served on or captained.

Removing his sailors cap and donning the mantle of Governor of Probus Ireland, Sean spoke about Rotary’s place in the community and in the wider world. Members were told that Rotary International has two seats in the United Nations because when the UN was being set up in 1945 it was founded in part on the principles on which Rotary had been established. The final slide in Sean’s presentation was of a purpose-built hospital ship , a physical symbol of Rotary’s commitment to tackle humanitarian issues wherever they arise.

Also on Wednesday 15 February Mr Kenneth Collins was made an Honorary Member of the Club and presented with a Certificate to mark the occasion. Honorary membership is conferred on members when they turn 90.