Branch News 
Check out reports from recent branch events and updates by clicking on an region below:
Ireland
County Wicklow/South Dublin – Update
Our branch continues to live up to its record of being sociable and active with a welcoming attitude to new members. We are always on the lookout for new ideas and therefore, fresh contributions are welcomed. Prospective new members are welcome at our events to encourage them to make up their minds about joining us.
Our twin aims of sociability and fund-raising for worthy TCD programmes have been well blended together this year.
A bequest that the Branch received from the late Fred O’Connell has been donated, in consultation with his widow Nan, to the TCD Library and rare books have been bought and inscribed.
A very successful Garden Party was held in the house and gardens of Shane Ross TD and his wife, Ruth Buchanan. Seventy five people attended on a fine day, the food was excellent and the company lively. Many women and some daring men wore hats and a prize was awarded for the nicest headdress. A total of about €1000 was raised for the TCD Access Fund.
Other enjoyable events were held so far this year and others are planned at the time of writing in June. Our musical evening in the Glenview Hotel was very successful; the choice of music selected by our members was varied and enjoyable, and the accompanying supper was excellent. Our visit to the Tutankhamun exhibition in the RDS in Dublin was preceded by a light lunch before going in to the replica exhibition which satisfied and impressed everybody.
Early September will bring a visit to a “Hidden Gem of South Dublin” for a guided tour of the historic church and graveyard of St. Nahi in Dundrum. The church has an excellent collection of stained glass and tapestries and the font in which the Duke of Wellington was baptised. As usual, the tour will be followed by tea and scones in the nearby Taney Parish Centre. At the end of September, we will be in the Glenview Hotel for a supper and an evening to evoke favourite memories of work by Irish Poets and authors. Members will introduce and recite their favourite piece of poetry or read prose.
We are excited about our plan to hold a formal dinner this year which will be in the Royal St. George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire in early November. We will have an interesting guest speaker and some musical entertainment. By the time the reader sees this contribution, we hope to be able to report that the evening was an outstanding success.
We wish all of our members and their families a happy new year in 2012.
Kildare & West Wicklow - Update
On 2nd November 2010, a fireside chat was given by Dr John Sweeney entitled Ireland and Climate Change - from Copenhagen to Cancún. Dr Sweeney is Ireland's leading specialist on climate change and is attached to the Geography Department in NUI Maynooth. It was a most enlightening and well-attended talk.
Branch members were also present at the 2010 Christmas Commons and at the 2011 A&T Annual Dinner in the Kildare Street Club – a most enjoyable change of scenery.
A well-attended 15th AGM was held on 10 March and the outgoing branch officers were returned unopposed as the new 2011 committee, namely June A Stuart M.A. (1966) as chairman, Michael J R Higgins M.A. (1965) as treasurer, and Michael J C McCann M.A. (1976) as secretary.
The AGM agreed that the treasurer forward a cheque of €1,000 to Senior Tutor as a bursary for a needy TCD undergraduate with a home address in either Kildare or West Wicklow. The AGM was followed by a fireside address given by TCD Senator David Norris. Alumni are invited to subscribe to our branch mailing list for updates.
United Kingdom
Oxfordshire – Update
The Oxfordshire Association held its annual lunch on 11 June in the Dining Hall of Trinity College Oxford. Local members were joined by members from London, Gloucester and North West Associations. Also amongst the 54 in attendance were a number of recent graduates, a most gratifying and encouraging presence. After a superb meal 36 members joined a tour of college chapels led by two professional guides, the special feature being the 17th century painted glass windows by the van Linge brothers. Fortunately the weather again favoured us, contributing to a most enjoyable day. The committee hope to arrange another event for late September.
North West England - Update
“Mi Casa es Su Casa”, was the advance theme for the alumni gathering at the home of Dr Derek and Theresa Stanley in Chester last September. On the day itself, in this former roman citadel, the unpredictable climate extinguished the barbeque with torrential rain and pre-empted the scheduled tour of historic sites, thus ensuring that the event was truly at home as described. The result was wonderful home hospitality, excellent food, convivial conversation, and a plentiful supply of bottled sunshine which was enjoyed by all and the day was a great success. We have plans to arrange similar events in the future.
The main event of the year for the TCD alumni association in the North West of England is the annual dinner which was first established in 1893. We were delighted to welcome Jennifer Taaffe, Alumni Director, as our principal guest at the dinner in May 2011 held at Lancashire County Cricket Club. Jennifer was able to inform us with the latest news from College on events activities and innovations and especially the tercentenary celebrations scheduled this year for the Biomedical Sciences but we were also very pleased to note that she is well versed about the life times and exploits of undergraduates who benefited from the tutelage of the Junior Dean Dr R B McDowell.
We are always very pleased to welcome new members to the association and are particularly keen to encourage suggestions for events and networking activities that may be of interest to more recent graduates, please contact Martin Byrne for more details.
United States
US - Event Round Up
Ambassador Michael Collins joined with a large gathering of alumni from Washington and Philadelphia in congratulating Provost Hegarty on the successes of his 10 years in office at a reception in Washington DC on Monday 6 June. The Provost outlined highlights of his tenure such as the Science Gallery, Biomedical Sciences Institute and the Creative Arts , Technologies and Culture initiative. He also introduced Provost-elect Prof Patrick Prendergast.
It was then onto New York for this year’s Trinity Ball which was held at the beautiful Loeb Boathouse in Central Park on Wednesday 8 June. Over 120 alumni and friends enjoyed cocktails on the terrace and a sumptuous dinner followed by music and dancing. Many thanks to the Committee of the Greater NYC Alumni branch who put so much work into making this evening such a wonderful success. Photos from the Ball can be viewed on the TCD Alumni NYC website.
The Provost rounded off the week in Boston with a farewell supper in the Algonquin Club with alumni from the dynamic Boston branch. He reminisced about alumni events he had attended over the past 10 years and thanked the graduates present for their ongoing support for the College.
All branches welcome new members.
Rest of World
New South Wales – Update
After a hiatus of many years, the TCD NSW branch finally arranged a Christmas gathering on 25th November 2010. The venue for the occasion was P J O’Brien’s Irish Pub in Sydney. The social was attended by 17 alumni spanning no less then 6 decades making for very interesting anecdotes from times past. The event was well received and all agreed it was long overdue.
The first event of the 2011 calendar was held on 26th May 2011. This marked the first joint alumni event arranged by the TCD NSW branch inviting the alumni from the Cambridge and Oxford Societies. The event was both sponsored and hosted by Baker McKenzie Law Firm in Sydney with the assistance of Dayan Goodsir-Cullen and Dylan Carroll. Over 100 alumni across the three universities attended on the evening to regale and imbibe, all agreeing it was a resounding success.
For news of future events join the TCD Alumni NSW distribution list.
Ontario - Update
The main event of the year continues to be the Annual Dinner at the National Club in Toronto. The 2010 dinner was a stimulating and entertaining evening due in large measure due to our guest speaker, Ray Bassett, Ireland’s new ambassador to Canada, Jamaica and the Bahamas who presented a first hand, frank and insightful look at Ireland’s difficult economic situation. He also talked about his 10 years working on north/south cooperation in Ireland in particular the Belfast (Good Friday) agreement and its implementation.
Attendance at joint university events continues to increase with our participation in the International University Clubs of Toronto. The number of alumni in Ontario has increased in recent years to over 300 and, thanks to information from the Alumni Office, those with e-mail addresses have been added to our list. The current committee remains as previously with Chairperson/Secretary John Payne M.A., (1974), Vice Chairperson Bill McConnell B.A.I., (1967), Treasurer John Cary B.A., (1969), and IUCT liaison and webmaster Bruce Buttimore B.A.I., (1970). Alumni are encouraged to contact John Payne or visit the website for more details.