Visiting the Oldest Rotary Club in Europe

On Monday I went to speak at the Rotary Club of Dublin.  (I was lucky all the green face paint came off from Halloween party the night before when I had dressed up as a witch - though I'm sure my speech would have been all the more memorable for it.)

The Rotary Club of Dublin meets in The Grand Canal Hotel in Ballsbridge Dublin 4 every Monday between 12:45 and 2:00 pm.  Apart from the usual fundraisers and charity events, the club is most proud of its legacy as the oldest Rotary Club in Europe.  This year marks their 100th birthday, and the centenary was quickly picked up as the theme for the Rotary District 1160 Annual Conference "Celebrating 100 Years of Rotary in Ireland."

One Rotarian informed me that The Rotary Club of London was chartered the same year, but as the Dublin's club began just a few months before the London club, it causes quite a bit of frustration for "those Brits." 

I enjoyed speaking to the club, exchanging flags, and meeting the Rotarians.  I even got to sing "Happy Birthday" to a member of the club, who turned 80 and couldn't have been happier about getting an entire chocolate cake to himself for the occasion. 

For more information about the club, visit their website at http://www.rotary-ribi.org/clubs/homepage.asp?ClubID=969