New IWAI Dunrovin headquarters officially opened

A NEW milestone has been reached in the history of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland (IWAI) with the official opening of its new headquarters to be known as IWAI HQ Dunrovin.

The opening of IWAI HQ Dunrovin, which is situated at Coosan Point on the shores of Lough Ree’s Inner Lakes, finally fulfils the wishes of Cynthia Rice who bequeathed the Dunrovin property and site to the Athlone branch of the association in 1997.

A quarter of a century later on Saturday, June 25 – International Day of the Seafarer – Dunrovin was reborn in partnership with the RNLI, resulting in a state-of-theart permanent lifeboat station alongside IWAI’s new headquarters.

A crowd of nearly 100 people gathered to celebrate the official opening. Among the guests were no fewer than 10 IWAI past presidents whose terms of office dated all the way back to 1984.

There were speeches from Peter Williams and his sister Geraldine, the grandchildren of Colonel Harry Rice, the founder member of the IWAI. Peter and Geraldine spoke of Harry, his first wife Peggy and second wife Cynthia and shared a personal view of the family whose legacy stands proud today on the site of their former summer home – Dunrovin. In a special moment, an inscribed stone which Harry and Peggy had placed in the garden of Dunrovin back in 1948 was presented to the IWAI.

The official duties continued with words from Martin Donnelly, the chairman of the Dunrovin Development Committee, and a speech from IWAI president Kay Baxter. Members of the committee, which has been awarded the prestigious Endeavour Cup for its dedicated service to the project, were then presented with personalised certificates from the president.

Following the speeches, Kay Baxter along with past presidents Alan Kelly, John Dolan and Carmel Meegan (whose terms of office covered the Dunrovin development project) cut the red ribbon and declared IWAI HQ Dunrovin officially open.

The final duty was to hoist the IWAI flag, marking a permanent and visible presence for IWAI in its new home on the very site where the association was founded in 1954.

IWAI HQ Dunrovin.

IWAI presidents (past and present) outside IWAI HQ Dunrovin.

PHOTOS: IWAI/PADRAIG DEVANEY Past president Alan Kelly, IWAI president Kay Baxter and Inspector of Navigation Paddy Harkin.

Cutting the ribbon are, from left: past president John Dolan, president Kay Baxter, past president Carmel Meegan and past president Alan Kelly.

Peter Williams and his sister Geraldine speak of the Rice family.

The presentation to members of the Dunrovin Development Committee.

The interior showing archive cabinets and meeting room layout.