This article is from page 25 of the 2008-04-22 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 25 JPG
THE Irish League of Credit Unions Ce) COKSBLecwe-DeDOLet-N excselosecD mae lcrolnb Orem aleydl weekend in the University Concert Hall in Limerick.
Over 1,500 delegates and other members will gather for the two day meeting at which they will review progress of the credit union move- ment in Ireland to date and plan for future developments.
Membership of Ireland’s 521 credit unions stands at 2.9 million peo- ple with savings of €13.4 billion. The Limerick/Clare chapter of 31
different credit unions comprises 177,244 members with savings of over €704.35 million and loans of €344.25 million.
“Having successfully agreed new lending limits for credit unions with Minister for Finance, Brian Cowen, we can now offer larger loans over longer periods to our members. So we are facing the future with even greater confidence and making plans for even better service for our mem- bers,” said Uel Adair, President of the Irish League of Credit Unions.
“With exciting new services and products in the pipeline, credit un-
ions are looking forward to even greater Success aS a movement than we ve enjoyed so far. Ordinary peo- ple can now get the money they need to help them properly plan their own and their family’s lives.”
Delegates will also be able to see and discuss the latest support and management services available to credit unions at a special exhibi- tion running in conjunction with the AGM.
The first credit unions in Clare, Sts Peter and Paul’s Credit Union in Clarecastle and St Francis Credit Union in Ennis, were established in
July 1966. Around the same time, the first and, so far, only industrial credit union in Clare was formed by employees of the Shannon Free Air- port Development Co. Ltd.
Since its earliest days, the Limer- ick/Clare chapter has played a sig- nificant role in credit union develop- ments. It has been represented on the board of the Irish League of Credit Unions since 1964 by Fred Fennessy, Kit McDonald, Frank Canny and Tony Cullinan. Mr Canny served as president of the league between 1985 and 1987 and Mr Cullinan between 1995 and 1996.