Author: OPC

ANNUAL SUMMER OUTING
On Wednesday 7 June 2023 the club held its annual summer outing to Enniskillen Castle Museum and Devenish Island, Lough Erne.  The party, comprised of 12 club members and 5 guests from Omagh Ladies Probus, departed Omagh Golf Club in private cars at 10.30 am and re-grouped at the “Round O” in time for coffee and scones before boarding M.V. Kestrel for a cruise along the city walls before heading downstream to the Lower Lough and Devenish Island. The weather was everything that could have been asked for and although a number of those present had been many times on Devenish all enjoyed pottering around the well preserved remains of this 12th Century monastic settlement.  Back on dry land in Enniskillen the party made its way to the Castle Museum for a bite of lunch before an extended tour of the exhibits. Come 4.30 pm it was time to move on to Irvinestown for an evening meal in Mahon’s Hotel at 5.00 pm. The food was excellent and all retuned to Omagh well pleased that the outing had been so enjoyable and successful. Thanks were expressed to the President for putting in place all the arrangements and to those who had volunteered to act as drivers.

Wednesday 17 May 2023: Speaker, Mr John Orr: Topic “My life at sea”
John left school in Larne at the age of 14, got a job as a delivery boy and relished the freedom of cycling all around the town. In the course of his travels, he fell into conversation with a seaman from one of the ships docked in Larne harbour. Persuaded to go to sea he undertook a course of basic training at the Merchant Navy college in Gravesend and age 15 found himself on the SHELL oil tanker, St Vibex, en route to the Persian Gulf. He easily recalled travelling through the Suez Canal, past the remains of ships sunk during the Suez crisis. In the Bitter Lakes his shipmates pushed him over the side caring not that he could not swim because the water was so saline that he would not sink .
An impressionable youth each port of call was an adventure into a different culture with the opportunity to purchase trinkets and souvenirs from the hawkers that lined the quays. At the time he was earning £13.00 per month and rationed himself to £2.00 per week pocket money. With 300 Players cigarettes cost 3 shillings and 6 pence on board, it was more than enough to keep him in fags, although he has long since given up the habit.
John’s fascinating talk ranged over the many ships he had sailed in, and the many different jobs he was required to do as a deck hand. From splicing ropes to sewing canvas and painting the masts ,to keeping watch and steering the ship in heavy seas, he recounted his enjoyment of a life that took him all over the world.

Wednesday 3 May 2023: Visit to the President’s Garden
President Hugh Ward and his wife, Kathleen, are the owners and custodians of a magnificent property located at 115 Doogary Road, Omagh.  This year their home features on the front cover of the booklet published by the National Garden Scheme to promote “Gardens open for Charity, Northern Ireland 2023”. Inside the booklet, their home, Tattykeel House, enjoys the following description.
A country garden of approximately 1.5 acres, crated over a 30year period, planted with conifers, shrubs, roses and perennials. There is a sheltered seating area, a Japanese influenced area, interesting features and a collection of well grown climbers on the house. The garden underwent numerous exciting and significant improvements in early 2022.

On arrival club members were treated to tea, coffee, scones and traybakes in a gazebo erected on the patio where Hugh passed around photographs of his garden taken first when he and Kathleen moved in and in the years since to chart how the garden has grown. Members were then shown round by Mrs Ward, Hugh claiming modestly that he only cuts the grass and does some weeding. This claim was belied by the number of elegant structures fashioned by Hugh to add height and character to the garden. In the lower part a stream babbles sweetly over boulders all lovingly created to induce an atmosphere of calm and wellbeing.

Th tour ended in Hugh’s “man cave”, a barn coming down with garden tools, ride-on lawn mowers, cultivators, hedge cutters – all that is needed to maintain a large garden and provide an escape area for the man of the house.  Afterwards all were invited into Kathleen’s studio, there to marvel at her paintings, screen prints and other examples of her craft work. On leaving members were delighted to make a contribution to the “Children’s Heartbeat Trust”, the Ward’s chosen charity for 2023.

Wednesday 16th March 2023: Club Archives: Mr Jim McBain
On Wednesday 16th March 2023 the Club archivist, Jim McBain brought in the club archives and spread them out for members to peruse. The archives are comprised of 14 Minute Books and 5 photo albums. Although the club was founded in 1979 minutes were not kept until 1984. For the next 22 years minutes were hand-written in hard back notebooks, all eight of which have survived, if a little worn by weekly usage. Beginning in 2006 minutes were word processed and print copies were kept in ring binders. Because of the ever present danger of ring binders springing open, it was decided in 2020 to have the loose-leaf minutes bound. This important work was entrusted to Ecclesville Printing Services who did a lovely job. The minutes from 2006 to 2018 are now available for study and inspection in six bound volumes, each volume containing two years of minutes.

The other part of the archive comprises 5 volumes of photographs with accompanying descriptions and commentaries. The first three volumes take the form of large “wedding albums” which collectively cover the years 1979 – 2014. The first of these contains mainly black and white photos and newspaper cuttings, often recording the election of a new President at Annual General Meetings. Gradually colour photos began to appear with longer commentaries on the persons and place depicted. This important legacy is due to the diligence of Bob Lingwood, and David Haddow, who together compiled the “wedding albums.”

In 2014 Jim McBain took over as Club archivist and effected a new modus operandi using A2 Art Folders. By and large each sheet in the A2 Folder covers one month in the history of the Club, with the focus on the guest speaker or speakers, accompanied by a summary of their talk. Big club events such as summer outings, Christmas Luncheons and Inter-Club Quiz competitions also feature along with obituaries.

The club also has a website which provides information on the history of the of the club, past Presidents, and former members It is updated weekly and provides access to an online archive. Omagh Ladies Probus have their own page on the website to keep members informed and up to date. For more information on Omagh Probus Club and how to join go to www.omaghprobusclub.org.uk

Wednesday, 1 March 2023: Speaker – Dr John Graham.
Dr John Graham, now retired, was for most of his working life an Army Medical Officer. In this capacity he travelled the world caring for serving soldiers, their wives and families in many different locations. With many stories to tell his talk was a fascinating account of a life in uniform.

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.

 

Wed 1 Feb 2023;  Members memorabilia – Something precious; something old.

For the meeting on Wednesday 1st February each member was invited to bring in “Something old; Something precious” and be prepared to speak about it for a few minutes. Most members brought an object but with time constraints not everyone had the opportunity to show off their treasures. The photograph below shows President Hugh Ward with the button accordion which his mother bought him in 1956 for success in the Northern Ireland Junior Certificate Examination.

During World War I, ladies in France and Belgium hand embroidered scenes and messages onto postcards which they then sold to allied servicemen. Alistair Orr brought in a box containing some 40 of these postcards sent by the young solder to the young woman who was to become his grandmother.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michael Cooney brought in the Certificate of Naturalization which his Grandfather had been issued with in 1927 to certify that his status had changed from Irish immigrant to United States citizen.    Desmond Smart brought in the jug which his mother used each day to carry home a quart of fresh milk from the shop.   The above are only 4 of the precious items brought in. Enough remain for a further session on the same theme.

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.