Soroptimist International North Kildare

Map of Ireland showing County Kildare The North Kildare area consists of the northern half of the county Kildare. The countryside is flat, fertile and rich and consists mainly of large stud farms. There are five main towns in the area, Maynooth, a university town, also contains the Norman Castle and Carton House, homes to the Fitzgeralds, Dukes of Leinster and Earls of Kildare since the 13th century, who owned most of North Kildare until 1922. Kilcock, a market town, Leixlip, home to the computor company Intel, Celbridge which has the largest house in Ireland, Castletown House and Clane, a medieval town where the Fitzgeralds established a Franciscan Monastery in the 14th. Century. The river Liffey runs through the area on its way to the sea at Dublin, 20 miles away. (link to Kildare tourism website). Club members come from these towns and the surrounding villages.

Soroptimist International North Kildare was Chartered on the 9th October 1994 at a function followed by lunch in the Kildare Hotel and Country Club, Straffan, Co. Kildare. Present were Federation President Dorothy Llewellyn, National President Republic of Ireland, Noeleen Cummins, with the National Executive Committee including Theresa O'Doherty, Extention and Membership Officer along with Presidents from Soroptimist Clubs around Ireland. The Guest speaker was the Irish Laureate of Women of Europe who spoke on the growth of Drug Use in Ireland. The Founder President, Kathleen Brophy, made the pledge to the Federation President on behalf of the 33 founder members. Click here to view photos of the Charter Ceremony.

The Chain of Office was sponsored by the Irish Permanent Building Society, Maynooth, and designed and executed by Lee Brothers, Dublin, in silver gilt with enamel crest with ten inscription bars. The Banner was made by founder member, Dianne Coleman.

Friendship & Social
Friendship and support between members of our own club and other clubs both nationally and internationally is very important. There are many social events held for members throughout the year (link to social page)and our international friendship link is with S.I. New York, who entertained us for a week in 1998 (link to Friendship Link Page). Our main social event every year is a Golf Classic held in the K Club every May. This is the Club's main fundraiser for Charity.

Service to the Community
Our first National Project was Caring for the Carers and we established a Carers group in Clane. In 1997, the Club established a Meals and Wheels service for the North Kildare area including Clane, Prosperous, Rathcoffey and Donadea.

Fundraising
Our first fundraiser was a Golf Classic in May 1995 in aid of St. Raphaels, School for Special Children, Celbridge, Co. Kildare. The Golf Classic in 1996 and 1997 was also for St. Raphaels and we raised funds towards a Garden Centre which trains students in horticulture and an Animal Husbandry Unit which teaches students the care of small animals, hens etc. This Unit was opened by President McAleese in 1999.

Since then the Club has raised money for St. Brigid's Hospice, the Curragh, Co. Kildare. The Oncology Unit, National Maternity Hospital, Hollos St., Dublin, Riding for the Disabled, St. Vincent de Paul, Adi Roches Children of Chernobyl Fund, Focus Point for Homeless Children, Northern Ireland Children's Enterprise, Special Olympics World Games 2003, Teach Tearmainn, The Merchants Quay Project, and Barretstown Gang Camp.

The National Project 2002/03
The Soroptimist National Project 2002/03 was co-ordinated by S.I. North Kildare and consisted of fundraising for the Special Olympics 2003.

This Project raised 150,000 euro for the Special Olympics 2003 and was awarded the 'International Good Practice Award 2003' at the Federation Conference, Belfast, Oct. 2003 for Exceptional Service as a Global Voice for Women in the Programme Area of International Goodwill and Understanding

Federation Conference Belfast 2003, National President Aine Brady
accepting The Good Practice Award 2003 for the National Project, Fundraising
for the Special Olympics 2003, from Federation President Joan Smith, CBE

Soroptimists International Republic of Ireland were awarded
the Good Practice Award 2003 National Project,
Fundraising for the Special Olympics 2003
by Federation President Joan Smith, CBE

Education
Every year we enter local participants in the Soroptimist "All Ireland Girls Public Speaking Competition" which is open to all girls aged between 15 and 18 who are in full time education. This competition is aimed at helping the girls to improve their ability to communicate with clarity and confidence, and to encourage them to play a more active role in public life.

When "Promotion of the Arts" was the National Project the Club had guest speakers for members and friends to talk on Art Appreciation in particular the paintings of Jack Yeats. We also held a concert on the Works and Songs of Percy French and Thomas Moore.

National President 2002/03
The Club's greatest highlight since our inauguration in 1994 has been the election of Aine Brady as National President, S.I. Republic of Ireland at Federation Conference in Glasgow, attended by 11 of our members on the 31st October 2002. Aine had a very successful year as National President culminating in the 'Friendship Weekend' at the Johnstown House Hotel, Enfield, Co. Kildare with a Gala Dinner in the K Club in Sept. 2003 attended by the Minister for Finance, Charlie McCreevy, T.D. with Guest Speaker, Mary Davis, C.E.O. Special Olympics 2003 and representatives from all 23 Soroptimists Clubs including Marie Hoey, Regional President, Northern Ireland

At the Federation Conference in the Waterfront Hall, Belfast 26 Oct. 2003 Aine Brady handed over her Chain of Office to the new National President, Catherine O'Sullivan, at the Change of Insignia Ceremony, followed by dinner for 1,500 guests at St. Georges Market, Belfast

Aine Brady from Clane, Co. Kildare, was inaugurated as National President, Soroptimist International, Republic of Ireland at a function held in Glasgow on the 2 Nov 2002 which was attended by delegates from all over the world. This is a great honour both for Aine and the North Kildare Soroptimist Club. Click here to view photos from the inauguration.

Article written by Kathleen Brophy, B.A., for the Liffey Champion, 9th November 2002

Kay Brophy was inaugurated as National President 2008-9 at the Federation Conference in Barados on 1st November 2008, attended by 12 club members and SO delegates from Ireland. Her 'Friendship WQeekend' was held from the 3rd-4th October 2009 in N.U.I Maynooth, followed by lunch in the River Room, The K Club, where the final cheque for the National Project was presented to the National Rehabilitation Hospital, Dun Laoghaire.