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19.
Ena Gawley
Ena Gawley – Served on The IFAFA COMMITTEE from 1990-
1993/4
Well, down memory lane is the best most of us can do, trying to
recall times, events & memories (Pleasant, for me; more challenging
for other positions) in connection with our time spent serving on
the Committee – all of us trying our best to ‘give as much
enthusiasm and effort’ in some hope of making life easier for our
colleagues and future members of the Association.
Needless to say, and for obvious reasons we ‘recall’ some colleagues
more than others or have more recollections of colleagues with
whom we spent significant time on specific projects. My
own,1990/93 – was serving with a large number of colleagues for
either a single year, two years or in my case working for at least 3
years ‘in the office’ yep, you got that right!! In our NEWLY
acquired office in the bowels of DFA along with Maura Swift (Bravo
Maura, what fun we had ‘turning our heads’ to the newly arrived
piece of Equipment – a PC! I FEEL now, that we possibly ‘lost’ as
many documents in those ‘few’ early weeks as we saved! YOU have
my full permission to correct me on this Maura! Neither Maura nor
I were around for the ‘Eviction’ from same room some years later –
when the Committee were turfed out of our bothan make room
for.... NO, am not saying... Ask Sally (she whispered in my ear, who
were allocated our room....
I signed up to taking over the ‘Newsletter’ job for the full 3 years I
was on the Committee & seriously loved every moment of it –
obviously unaware that I was laying the foundation for a very
similar job that many years later I would ‘also’ hold up my hand to
‘take over’ as editor of the newsletter of the ‘Approved Tourist
Guides of Ireland’ – life repeating itself again in my 3 years as
editor with our Tourism Association from 2007/2010. So, I was
indebted to IFAFA for the training that enabled me to bite into the
same cherry!
So many of us served on the committee of IFAFA for various
lengths over the years – BUT to our colleagues who returned to
serve again – that is dedication – TO keep going and keep the fires
of enthusiasm stoked – A VERY Special ‘BRAVO’ to you.
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