IRISH CANADIAN SOCIETY CANADAY DAY PICNIC 2007

ICS 2007 Canada Day Picnic: the Canadian flag flies over Malahide Castle. .

Rain Fails to Dampen ICS Canada Day 2007 Festivities

Sometimes you just get lucky.

For the fourth year, Malahide Castle was the venue for the ICS Canada Day Picnic. But because there was to be a concert on the main Castle grounds on July 1, the ICS picnic was relocated to the its Walled Garden. And what was there, besides a spectacular setting? A beautiful and quite spacious, glass Victorian 'garden house' that provided a cosy haven during the intermittent rainy episodes for brief formalities and for enjoying the fresh strawberries and cream that accompanied ICS's traditional Canada birthday cake and the draw for a sumptuous Canadiana gift basket, another ICS event tradition.

Otherwise, it was all fun and games, with lots of prizes and laughter, outdoors in the Garden we hope will be the venue again next year.

Some 60 picnickers - families, couples and singles, and encompassing all ages -- were on hand for the festivities. Their Canadian backgrounds covered the breadth of Canada and a group picture (to be posted in due course at www.irishcanadiansociety.net ) was organized geographically from Canada's east to west (right-to-left as the photographer faced the group). From the Irish perspective, they came from far and wide - from Belfast in the North and from Kildare, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Meath, Wexford and Wicklow as well as various parts of County Dublin.

ICS 2007 Canada Day picnickers assembled by their geographic connections to Canada, beginning with BC on the left and carrying through to the Maritimes and Newfoundland & Labrador on the right.

Highlighting the formalities were tributes and presentations to Pat McDonnell, out-going ICS Chair and to her husband Eamonn who has worked tirelessly behind the scene to help to ensure the success of ICS events. The first tribute was a letter from former Canadian Ambassador to Ireland, Mark Moher and ambassador-in-her-own-right, his wife Jean. Their words spoke of respect and appreciation for all that Pat has done as ICS Chair and, through that, for Canada - and warmly conveyed the friendship and affection that they hold for Pat and Eamonn.

Next came a tribute and gift presentation by the Canadian Embassy's current senior diplomatic representative in Ireland, Carl Schwenger. Commenting on the importance of Pat's leadership, his much-appreciated remarks noted that, while the Embassy formally represents Canada in Ireland, the Irish Canadian Society complements the Embassy's work and represents Canada in a more personal way.

Tributes and presentations to Pat and Eamonn were made on ICS's behalf by Pat's successor, Dave Wilson. Both Pat and Eamonn were presented with Honorary Life Memberships. Pat was also presented with a Waterford crystal picture frame in which was placed a group picture of Pat and the other members of the ICS colour party that participated in the St Patrick's Day Parade during her first year as ICS Chair.

Too many people contributed to the event's success to name them all. Collectively, aided a bit by the rainy episodes that promoted mixing in the garden house, were the attendees themselves. New friendships were formed and there was even a reunion of some folks who hadn't seen each other since high school many years ago. Individually, Pat and Eamonn deserve the lion's share of thanks for the contributions they made to the planning, preparations and delivery of everything from arranging the venue, to buying prizes, getting the cake, setting up the facilities and taking care of countless other details that make for a successful event.

A special thanks goes to Michael Lynch of Fingal County Council, through whom, again, the facilities, the flying of the Canadian flag from a Castle turret and a supply of complimentary tickets to that evening's concert were arranged. The pleasant and efficient assistance of a Castle ranger named Ray and his colleagues (one of them a triplet brother) made the setting comfortable for us in a variety of ways.

Thanks go, also, to ICS executive committee member Dorothy Ketterer and her husband Pat for their help with the preparations and carrying out of the event; to Michelle Dolan who so ably organized and ran the games; and to Pat and Diann Cummins who, among other contributions, again brought most of the Canadiana basket contents to Ireland.

And a very personal thank you goes from me to new ICS member Sabine Rowland who not only brought a large garden umbrella to the picnic but also very generously held it above me and the registration desk, so that that part of the process could carry on even through some rainy episodes.

Dave Wilson, Chair

PS. A well-known truth to keep in mind for next year's event: if the weather forecast is for rain and on the morning of the day the forecast seems accurate, remember "It's Ireland; just wait five minutes and the weather will change again." - so, rain or shine, I hope to see you then (and lots of times in between).