Tralee Credit Union Ltd reached a milestone on Sunday 18th February when it officially turned 50. To kick-start their 50th year celebrations St. John’s Church in Tralee dedicated the 12 noon Sunday Mass to Tralee Credit Union’s former and current voluntary board of directors in Tralee, Tralee CIE, Castleisland and Killorglin. Following the mass The Grand Hotel formed the backdrop for a reunion of the many directors, retired & present staff and family members of the founding fathers. A „Through the Years” Exhibition created a fantastic discussion point with fond memories shared.
The acknowledgement was made to the ten founding members of the Study Group who had studied hard examining the concept, formation and running of a credit union. Members of the study group were Denis Foley, Sean Moriarty, Tommy Quinlan, Paddy Dillane, Geoffrey O’Donoghue, Rev C.D. O’Riordan, Lauri Healy, John Malone, John Ryan and Tony Meade. In 1968 these ten men pooled together nearly £50 of their own money, which was used as the starting capital needed to form the credit union.
During the mass Fr. Bernard Healy reflected on our heritage, volunteerism, community spirit and our credit union ethos and value of “people helping people” that by working together people can achieve far more together than individually on their own.
On Thursday 29th of March our 50th Anniversary celebrations continued with a change of our name from Tralee Credit Union to Cara Credit Union. The name change is a historical milestone and helped us achieve our vision for continued growth and strength together. We started the name change process 15 months previous and Cara Credit Union was approved by members at our AGM in December as we commenced our 50th year. Having extended our common bond from Tralee into Castleisland and Killorglin over the years we felt our name was no longer inclusive to all three of these important towns and hinterlands. Cara Credit Union gives Killorglin and Castleisland their identity back as each office now has their town name over its office. Cara means a friend in Irish, it is part of our heritage and culture and is embedded in the credit union ethos and values. Cara Credit Union will help us connect more with members and rekindle past friendships with inactive members.
In our 50th year Cara Credit Union is the 5th largest community-based credit union in Ireland serving the financial needs of its members throughout Tralee, Castleisland and Killorglin. It has over 43,000 members, €220 Million in Assets, €185 Million in Savings and €74 Million out on Loan. Together we will grow from strength to strength as we move into the next 50 years.
Irish Credit Union Movement1968-19771978-19871988-19971998-200740th Anniversary in Tralee30th Anniversary in Castleisland2018 Tralee Credit Union 50th Anniversary