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President of Ireland Welcomes JCI World President

Mary McAleese, President of Ireland, received JCI World President Scott Greenlee and a JCI delegation at the Áras an Uachtaráin, the official residence of the President of Ireland, October 12. The occasion was JCI Ireland’s 50th Anniversary, which was celebrated during JCI Ireland’s National Convention this year.

The delegation accompanying President Greenlee included JCI Executive Vice President Graham Hanlon, JCI Ireland President Karen Sweeney, JCI Ireland Immediate Past President Suzanne Corcoran, and JCI Secretary General Edson A. Kodama.

“Congratulations to Junior Chamber Ireland on this, the fiftieth anniversary of your establishment,” said President McAleese. “Junior Chamber provides young leaders with an opportunity to meet, learn and grow, and I commend you for the many activities you undertake to improve the communities in which you live and work.”

Creating Positive Changes

President McAleese was enthusiastic when talking about young people, stressing hard work and dedication as keys to succeed anywhere in the world. She said preparing young people well will ensure even brighter communities, and commended JCI for energizing young people to create positive changes around the world.

Members of the JCI delegation were extremely pleased with the meeting. “I was honored to meet President McAleese and impressed by her friendliness and openness to us,” commented President Greenlee. “Demonstrating her appreciation for JCI and particularly for all that JCI has done for the people of Ireland, President McAleese spent more time than scheduled with us.“

“She offered to assist JCI in the future,” added President Greenlee. “We discussed project ideas and what could be done around the world to make our global citizens stronger.”

Secretary General Kodama was also delighted with the meeting with President McAleese. “She invited us to have coffee and tea with her and took the time to talk to each one of us,” he commented. “She recognized the importance of JCI and JCI Ireland in providing young people with the tools to make positive changes in the community.”

At the opening of the Convention on Friday, October 12, JCI Executive Vice President Hanlon, assisted by JCI World President Greenlee, presented a JCI Senatorship to an outstanding JCI member — National President Karen Sweeney. She is now JCI Senator No. 67600.

JCI Ireland’s History and Impact

JCI Ireland members took the opportunity to recall the history of their national organization:

JCI Cork and JCI Dublin formed JCI Ireland on the 14th of May 1957 at 27, South Mall, Cork, in the presence of World President Ira Kaye (USA) and JCI Vice President R. Goldberg (Belgium). At first, the community treated the organization with great suspicion. However, after its first members explained the ideals of the organization, the community fully accepted it.

Affiliated to JCI in 1958, JCI Ireland has provided the international organization with two World Presidents — Joe Murphy in 1984 and Kevin Cullinane in 2005 — and a number of other international officers.

JCI Ireland hosted the JCI World Congress in Dublin in 1970, three JCI European Conferences — in Dun Laoghaire in 1959, in Killarney in 1975, and in Wexford in 1981 — as well as the European President’s Meeting in Wexford in 1990.

Since its affiliation, JCI Ireland has provided opportunities to many thousands of young Irish business people, entrepreneurs and leaders. Its alumni include Government Ministers, Judges, CEO’s of Semi-State bodies and captains of industry. While Ireland has changed much since 1957, the goals of the organization — to provide opportunities in the areas of community, business, individual development and internationalism to young people between the ages of 18 and 40 — remain the same.

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Photo: From left, JCI Executive Vice President Graham Hanlon, JCI Ireland President Karen Sweeney, Ireland President Mary McAleese, JCI World President Scott Greenlee, JCI Secretary General Edson A. Kodama, and JCI Ireland Immediate Past President Suzanne Corcoran.

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