2008 40th Anniversary in Tralee

On Monday 18th February 2008 we celebrated our 40th Anniversary with over 340 guests attending a mass in the Dominican church, followed by reception and entertainment in Siamsa Tire. It was on that very night the 18th February 1968 that Tralee Credit Union opened its doors to our first members in the T.C.L.S. Building beside the Dominican Church in Tralee. It was a Rev C.D. O’Riordan, Prior, Holy Cross who instigated the formation of a Study Group to open a credit union in Tralee, so it was a fitting tribute to go back to our roots in the Dominican Church.

Invited guests included past and present board of directors, volunteers, staff, President of the Irish League of Credit Unions Uel Adair, Irish Ambassador to Lesotho Paddy Fay, as well as representatives from different credit unions, and members who had entered its members draw to attend this significant event.

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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.

“Through the Years” Exhibition

At 7.30pm on Monday, Uel Adair, President of the Irish League of Credit Unions officially opened Tralee Credit Union’s “Through the Years” Exhibition, at the exact same time 40 years earlier when we had first opened our door to members.

Once the formalities were over, 340 guests were treated to a spectacular show coordinated by Bryan Carr and hosted by Noel Keenan. The performances showcased local talent including Siamsa Tire Performers, Rinceoiri na Riochta, Tralee Musical Society, and up and coming singer Tanya O’Sullivan from Tralee. Specially collaborated for the night were young Tralee voice students Iona La Gros Banna, Rachel Daly Cahernane, Cormac O’Daly and Lloyd Fitzgibbon from Oakpark.

After the interval, the lights went down to a DVD tribute to Christy Hennessey, especially compiled for the night courtesy of Red Grape Records. Just when the guests thought the show was coming to an end, they were in for a big surprise with performances from internationally renowned Baritone Nyle Wolfe and the Irish Sopranos with local Tralee woman Kay Lynch.

Origins of The Credit Union