Blurb about Moyra
President's Message
Founded in 1971 BPW Tullamore has been a corner stone for many women within the Tullamore and surrounding region, providing much needed networking opportunities, social outlets and the opportunity to develop lifelong friendships. It has also been a great source of advice and mentoring for the women within the club. Over the years the members have not only provided advice and support to each other they have also provided advice to the public and supported local initiatives and charities. Each year the club contributed to the Lions Club Annual with a well written article by Norah Wall.
For many years BPW Tullamore were involved in the BPW Young Business women’s award; local winners were afforded the opportunity to show case their business on the National Stage at the National finals.
Throughout the years BPW Tullamore have been extremely active, at both regional and national level, in organising the BPW Public Speaking Competition for secondary school girls. The members of the club have been particularly supportive to the local teams, many of the local teams went ton to participate in both the National Final and the All Ireland Final, in venues such as Trinity College, National University Galway, Stormont, the former Irish parliament Building now Bank of Ireland, College Green, and the refurbished Circuit Court, Tullamore. Many of the participants report how their participation in the competition was of benefit to them as they pursued their chosen careers, one such participant being Fiona Mitchell RTE Current affairs reporter.
The club at its monthly meetings and annual dinners hosted many interesting speakers of notoriety, speakers who provided light hearted fun, others who provided controversial and interesting content, more with an interest in the arts, literature, finance, fashion, travel, and some who provided interesting personal stories. Mary Robinson, Garret Fitzgerald, Kader Asmal, David Norris, the The Knight of Glin, Desmond Guinness, Gus Martin, Catherine Mc Guinness, Elizabeth Cope, Ambassadors from Austria, France, South Africa, Australia, and the Japanese Consulate were some of the speakers with a political flavour. We also had people such as Maeve Binchy, Gay Byrne, Nuala O’Faolain, Deirdre Purcell, Marian Finnucane, Yvonne Farrell, Conor Brady, Lord Ross, Fergal McCabe and Rev Pat Storey partaking in our meetings and events. The club has always maintained close connections with the local County Council and have had Town Planners, Offaly Heritage Officer and the CEO of Offaly County Council, Anne Marie Delaney in attendance at club events.
A number of the member from BPW Tullamore held office on the National Executive including the National Presidents Office. Our members have also enjoyed the international aspects of the federation and have attended conferences and events in a number of cities including St. Petersburg, Tallinn, Valencia, Rome and Nicosia. Members have also served on the National Women’s Council.
In 2021 the club hopes to host its fiftieth anniversary ant to continue to enjoy many more years. We acknowledge the challenges posed by the current pandemic but are determined to overcome and learn from this challenge, eventually resuming to an even more vibrant and internationally active club.
Bernie Henry
President, BPW Tullamore
​
VISIT OUT WEBSITE: www.bpwtullamore.ie