Fifty years of the credit union in Millstreet town
FRIENDS and associates of Millstreet Credit Union convened for a night of celebration marking 50 years of financial service to the area.
The golden anniversary gala, hosted in partnership with Mallow Credit Union, acknowledged a milestone in the local credit union’s history and focused on saying thank you to the local people involved and recognizing the early pioneers who had the vision and foresight to establish the many individual credit unions that make up Millstreet and hundreds of units right across the country.
It took great dedication and hard work from those early visionaries to get the movement started in Millstreet, where volunteers and staff have all played their part in elevating the credit union in the town to its success of the present era
Continuing to maintain the success it has achieved over the years, those involved in Millstreet have time and again improved existing services to its members.
And to maintain its growth in the current decade, the board of directors of Millstreet Credit Union began the process of meeting with other credit unions with a view to joining forces, sharing costs, introducing new services and strengthening the credit union in Millstreet for the future.
This led in 2016 to the eventual transfer of engagements to Mallow Credit Union Limited, who share a very similar ethos and loyalty to their members as held in Millstreet Credit Union.
At the celebration in the Wallis Arms Hotel, Mallow Credit Union president David Browne hailed the contribution of Milllstreet’s surviving founders, Der and Ted Kiely, and to those who have supported 50 years of credit union service to the town.
“Thanks to the efforts of Der and Ted, in addition to the many volunteers, staff and members, the credit union has grown and evolved over the past 50 years. And given our progress, communities and families can develop better into the future”, said David.
The Millstreet celebrations began with a Mass celebrated in St. Patrick’s Church by Fr. Paddy O’Byrne followed by the unveiling of a plaque by the founders.
Co-founder Ted Kiely spoke of how the credit union movement in Millstreet had been very successful thanks to the diligence of staff and volunteers. “Establishing the credit union was so important and necessary,” he said.
“We remember the founder, Nora Herlihy, a native of Ballydesmond, a teacher in Dublin. She got interested in the co-op movement and from a fact finding mission to Canada she returned with the idea of the credit union. Today, there isn’t any part of Ireland not covered by the credit union movement”, said Ted.
Founding colleague Der Kiely related how the concept of a Millstreet Credit Union was originally mooted back in 1964. “Two people from Mallow came to a meeting in Cullen to explain the concept. Following some time, late curate Fr. Quirke got involved and from his great work Millstreet Credit Union was founded in 1968”, he said.