Business Lunch 2019
The 2019 Annual Business lunch took place in the Intercontinental Hotel, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 on Friday April 12th. This was our first time to host the lunch at this venue, which was very well received by those who attended.
500 pastmen and their guests sat down for lunch – a record attendance at this event.
Union President, Fintan Cooney opened proceedings by welcoming everyone and acknowledging that the St Michael’s lunch was taking place in the function room next door, but was a much smaller event at which Joe Schmidt was not speaking!. He went on to introduce the top table guests, thank the Union sponsors and tell those in attendance about the Union’s three charitable causes.
Chris Kinder headmaster of Castleknock then addressed the audience, updating them on sporting and academic achievements at the College. He concluded by presenting guest of honour, Ireland Head Coach, Joe Schmidt with a painting of the first ever rugby match played in New Zealand.
Grace was said by Vincentian Provincial, Fr Paschal Scallon.
Fintan Cooney introduced Joe Schmidt to be interviewed by Aidan McCullen (class of '95). Aidan is a former professional rugby player with Toulouse, London Irish, Leinster and Ireland. In the highly entertaining interview that followed Joe recounted stories from his early coaching career at Clermont and his arrival in Ireland to coach Leinster.
After the interview, Fintan Cooney thanked Joe Schmidt for attending the lunch and for all of the enjoyment he had provided to rugby fans over the nine years he spent coaching Leinster and Ireland. He presented Joe with an engraved Dublin Crystal Bowl as a memento of the occasion and wished him well at the Rugby World Cup in Japan and in his subsequent retirement from Irish coaching duties. He also thanked Aidan McCullen and presented him with a set of silver Castleknock cufflinks.
In his closing remarks, Fintan Cooney thanked the management and staff at the Intercontinental Hotel and the Union committee especially Honorary Secretary, Cian McGoldrick and Honorary Treasurer, Ian Garrigan for their sterling work in making the event such a success.
The lunch concluded with a raffle which raised over €8,500 to be divided between the Union Benevolent Fund, the College Scholarship Fund and the Vincentian Lay Mission Boarding School for Deaf Children in Ethiopia.
