Galway Toastmasters - 29 April 2026 - A warm atmosphere on a warm Spring Evening.

 

The 29^th of April was an exceptionally sunny day for Galway and still those of us trying to learn the art of a good speech were drawn to the bright upstairs room in Sccul Enterprise Centre to try command the art of public speaking.

Following a warm welcome from our Toastmaster for the night Christoffer he then introduced the meeting role holders. Deidre took on her first role of Ah Counter and introduced herself and the role seamlessly, followed by our wonderful Grammarian Cliona who choose the word Marvellous as the word of the evening. This word went on to be mentioned 19 times on the night in lots of interesting and different ways. How marvellous! We also had the captivating Rob as timekeeperand humorous Sarah as scribe.

Spencer brought us a very entertaining and revealing Creative Corner where he put interesting questions to the floor were members and guests stood up if they had for example been in a work meeting and in fact had no idea what was going on or if they had ever been escorted out of a place. This brought a great sense of fun and devilment to the room.

Our General Evaluator Kathy spoke passionately about the role and purpose of constructive evaluation to help us better ourselves as she wonderfully reminded us that this community is a space for learning.

Bea had us intrigued and bemused as she took a large bag of interesting props to the top of the room for a very stimulating and intellectual Topicsmaster session. She challenged members to speak off the cuff for 2 minutes on thought provoking topics from charity scandals, 4 day working weeks to what the household hammer or tin whistle reminds you of.

Pat who has only been a Toastmaster for 2 years delivered an exceptional Level 4 Presentation titled ‘Giving a Toastmasters Speech’ while being interrupted and heckled by an engrossed audience on purpose. He brought laughs and skill to an already wonderful atmosphere. This speech was later brilliantly evaluated by Ian who described Pat’s ‘killer eyes’ perfectly and with great wit.

Eoin had the tough job of evaluating seasoned Toastmaster Martin who delivered a motivating speech entitled ‘Shifting Sands’ that gave us rich food for thought that had us reflecting on what gives us a sense of security or life meaning.

The esteemed Mark praised our Sergeant in Arms Frances on her Storytelling Speech which she delivered with class and seasoned confidence. She took us right back to the house she grew up in and rich memories from her childhood.

 Kathy our general evaluator highlighted the excellent atmosphere that evening and how to be able to get so many members and guests in attendance even on a super sunny evening in Galway was a testament to the club and what it brings to people.

Martin, our VP of Education, filled the roles for our next meeting and detailed how it will comprise of our AGM and explained how to get involved as an officer. Warren then, as always closed, the meeting with a opportunity for anyone who wished to speak to come up and saw a few words which inspired a guest of the evening to come up to the podium and say a few words which were very warmly received.

A warm evening made even warmer by great people, discussions and sharing.

Galway Toastmasters - 15 April 2026 - Navigating Life's Journey

 At Toastmasters meetings, themes often emerge without planning or discussion, and this evening was no exception. A strong theme of Navigating Life’s Journeys was evident throughout.

• President Warren opened the meeting by announcing that Galway Toastmasters has achieved Distinguished Club status, thanks to the efforts of all members.
• Committee elections will take place on 13th May, with seven roles open for consideration.
• An end-of-year event is planned for 24th June, more details to follow.
• Special thanks were given to Martin for his dedicated work on the committee this year.

• The Toastmaster for the evening, Cathy, clearly explained her role and smoothly introduced each speaker with professionalism and poise and each role holder briefly outlined their responsibilities before the speeches began.

• The word of the evening was ‘Navigate’ which was used throughout the evening.

• The Topics Master, Jennifer, brought a unique style to the evening’s proceedings, when  chosen toastmasters selected a question from a box – questions that proved to be complex but thought provoking, challenging yet, thoroughly enjoyable. Members were asked to reflect on ‘advice you would give to a person facing an existential crisis’ to comment on ‘ a social/scientific experiment that touched you’ to sharing our thoughts on ‘Feminazi’ to ‘what would our rules be for a new founded country’.

• The three speeches offered thought-provoking ideas:
• Eoin – “A Journey to Authenticity”
• Emphasised that authenticity is not a journey of the mind, but of the heart.
• Spencer – “Are You Living on Autopilot?”
• Highlighted how ambition can lead to routine and comfort highlighting how life can pass quickly in autopilot mode, but awareness can help break the cycle.
• Bea – “Mentoring Boundaries, and Being My Own Guide”
• Stressed the importance of pausing before saying yes, encouraged trusting yourself, setting boundaries, and growing at your own pace.

• The General Evaluator this evening, Francis, praised the organisation of the meeting and reminded evaluators to offer constructive advice.

• Pat provided detailed and insightful feedback to Eoin while Cliona and Philip, both relatively new members, delivered clear and impressive evaluations on Spencer’s and Bea’s speeches, highlighting the importance of contacting speakers beforehand.

• The Creative Corner, provided by Florinda, added a light-hearted element, as everyone collaborated to create a story, resulting in much laughter—especially during the tale of the dog and the cupboard.

• The Ah-Counter and Grammarian delivered a comprehensive report, increasing awareness of language use throughout the meeting.

• The meeting concluded on a positive note, with attendees leaving a little wiser than when they arrived two hours earlier.

 

Galway Toastmasters - 01 April 2026 - No ones fool!

 

April Fools Day but no fools at Galway Toastmasters as we enjoyed a very full, fun and educational evening.

Our President Warren introduced the evening and then handed over to Toastmaster Paul who introduced the role holders. This was followed by a lively Topics Session run by Sarah. A debate, talk of nappies for seagulls and a rude remedy for people crossing at a red light. A great fun session.

Then came the prepared speeches.  Phillip for his first speech gave valuable advice on escaping our phone and other addictions. Then Robert with his speech Nature’s Pharmacy gave us an insightful look at the world of beekeeping.  Then mark celebrated finishing a pathway with an inspiring speech on tackling his difficulty as a native Irish speaker getting his words out in English.  It is a credit to both him and Toastmasters how far he has come.

Then came a break which gave the evaluators a chance to connect with their speakers.

Our general evaluator Helen ran the second half of the meeting.  We got excellent evaluations from Spencer, Eoin and Pat. All gave good insight and hints for improvement.

We got the officer reports and as our Creative Corner volunteer was held up at work Paul stepped in.  He started a story of going to the market to buy shoes and it went from person to person. A flock of sheep a van with a collie dog at the ready another dog.  A comet landing on St Nicholas was ignored and by twists and turns it went back to the shoes. Everyone contributed and it was great fun.

Helen handed back to Warren who gave those who hadn’t spoken a chance to speak.  Then he told us that a new committee will be needed soon and closed a very enjoyable meeting.

Galway Toastmasters - 18 March 2026 - From Spud Guns to Social Algorithms: Community in the Chaos

Spring was in the air as President Warren Healy opened the meeting, noting the welcome "stretch in the day" and the shift towards summertime. The evening’s energy mirrored the season, vibrant and full of unexpected turns. By the time the final gavel fell, we had covered everything from the ethics of TikTok to the life-saving statistics of joining a club.

Table Topics: St Patrick’s, Spud Guns, and Secret Skills
Spencer led a spirited Table Topics session that began with reflections on St Patrick’s Day. We heard about local floats going viral and the profound "boohoo moment" of a member feeling a surge of Irish pride in a parade that brought them to tears. The room also celebrated a staggering 45+ year wedding anniversary, a reminder of a different kind of long-term commitment.

• The prompt "Any job for a day" sparked diverse dreams:
• The Caretakers: Aspirations to work with animal rescues like Dogs Trust.
• The Barista: A heartwarming story of a son’s first day behind the espresso machine.
• The Daredevil: A call to become a skydiving instructor.
• The Realist: One member admitted his driveway is where cars go to stay rather than be fixed, while another dreamt of the high-pressure kitchen of a top-class restaurant.

Things took a mechanical turn when we discussed "silver linings." We learned about a career-ending firing that became a fresh start, and a spud gun project that escalated quickly. What started as a toy ended up powered by a compressor and a metal ball, a piece of DIY engineering so potent it unfortunately claimed the life of a local deer.
Finally, we looked at the "Magical Master" prompt. While some wanted the fighting skills of The Matrix, the room eventually settled on a more grounded desire: the skill of silence. The ability to truly hear and understand people, it was agreed, is the ultimate superpower.

The Speeches: Data, Delivery, and Doing it Alone
Three distinct perspectives challenged the room:

• Social Media & Me: Pat delivered an eye-opening history of the digital giants like Google, Meta, and TikTok. The speech pulled back the curtain on how algorithms manipulate groups rather than individuals. The takeaway was a sobering call to action: with data being harvested at every turn, we must actively vote for democracy and stay vigilant within the EU framework.
• The Contractor’s Life Cycle: Spencer took us into the chaos of high-stakes IT transformations. He contrasted the stable life of an employee with the contractor who is hired when things are broken. The core of his message was that it isn’t just about technical skill; it’s about relationships and trust. To survive the drift of large projects, one needs clear priorities, clear owners, and the confidence to move into chaos and figure it out.
• Bowling Alone: Warren delivered a persuasive look at social psychology based on Robert Putnam’s work. He dropped a staggering statistic: joining just one community group can cut your odds of dying in the next 12 months in half, an effect comparable to quitting smoking. Using the image of solitary bowlers in parallel lanes, he highlighted our post-Covid isolation and urged us to get out three to four nights a week to build a life-saving support structure.

Closing
The evaluators provided sharp, experience-led feedback, highlighting the strengths of the night’s delivery while offering paths for improvement. After a quick drive to fill the roles for next week, the meeting closed on a high note of connection and community.

Galway Toastmasters - 04 March 2026 - The start and end of a path

 

Warren, our President, opened the meeting and welcomed members and guests before sharing some good news from the club. Kathy had recently represented Galway Toastmasters at a competition and performed brilliantly, she came 2^nd in two competitions and 3^rd in the last competition.

Spencer took on the role of Toastmaster for the evening, his first time guiding the meeting. He led the first half, introducing the role holders and keeping everything moving smoothly.

Sarah was the ah-counter and she seamlessly weaved in humour to the role.

Our Grammarian, Pat, introduced the word of the day ‘Existential’. It was interesting to hear how members found opportunities to weave it naturally into their speaking.

Frances was our timekeeper, she expertly managed everyone’s time.

Michael took on the role of Topicsmaster for the evening which prompted thoughtful and often humorous responses from the floor. Questions ranged from whether Irish mothers spoil their sons more than their daughters, to guilty pleasures and what traits we might change in ourselves. One question asked members which country they might choose to live in besides Ireland, with Japan appearing as one intriguing option. The session sparked lively reflections and showed once again how the Topics sections offers everyone the chance to stand up and share an idea or story in the moment.

We then moved into the prepared speeches, where three speakers shared very different perspectives and experiences.

Jessica delivered her Icebreaker speech, reflecting on how she is choosing to grow. Icebreakers give new members the chance to introduce themselves and their story to the club. Jessica spoke openly about her motivations and her journey so far.

Helen followed with a speech titled Stories About the Matriarchy. Her speech was engaging and conversational, with good use of movement and expression to bring the stories to life.

Christoffer delivered the final speech of the evening, reflecting on his journey through the Toastmasters Pathways programme. Having completed 15 speeches, he finally completed his chosen Pathway. He shared what he had learned along the way, in both the Swedish Toastmasters and Galway Toastmasters club. He included insights into movement around the stage, using your voice to create interest at different parts of your presentation and performing tasks while presenting. It was a thoughtful reflection on the value of persistence and practice.

After a short tea break, the meeting continued with the evaluation session, where speakers receive constructive feedback designed to help them grow.

Robert, evaluating Jessica’s speech, commented on how engaging and relatable it was, highlighting the strength of the personal story she shared. He praised the speed at which she gave a speech and advised her to keep up the good momentum.

Ali, evaluating Helen’s speech, noted her use of humour and conversational tone, which helped deliver a clear and memorable message. He also praised Helen’s ability to speak and not rely on her notes.

Maud evaluated Christoffer’s speech, commenting on how well timed and engaging it was, and how effectively he intertwined personal memories with his Toastmasters achievements.

The Creative Corner added a reflective note to the evening. Bea read the poem Lost by David Wagoner, a thoughtful piece about finding your way when you feel uncertain or directionless.

The meeting wrapped up with reports from the supporting roles. Sarah, our Ah-Counter, noted that “um” appeared twenty times across ten speakers, while “ah” and “oh” made smaller appearances.

Pat, the Grammarian, highlighted some memorable phrases from the evening, including the line:
“When you dance, an ordinary person becomes extraordinary,”
and the wonderfully expressive:
“Work like a saint, paid like a sinner.”

Another enjoyable evening of learning, laughter and reflection.

Hope to see you at the next meeting!

Galway Toastmasters - 18th February 2026 - From Rag Week to Mindfulness: Galway Toastmasters Does It All

Another Wednesday with everything – meditation, pharmaceuticals, leadership, axe throwing as a romantic gesture, and someone processing twenty years of landlady guilt. The word of the evening was Peaceful. It earned its keep.

After Warren opened and the officers were introduced, Maud took over as Topicsmaster. Hen party ideas got away quickly – axe throwing was pitched with sincerity, dancing classes in sexy heels followed, and one member shared a stag story involving a booking miscommunication resulting in far more exclusive entertainment than planned. The "keep it simple" lobby made their case. The axe throwing contingent remained unmoved.
Why do Irish people talk so much about America? J1 and J2 visas came first – generations heading west, though Australia is fast becoming the new America. Ireland has had a hand in electing 13 American presidents, and it remains a place you could simply go and be yourself. Hard not to have opinions. When do members feel most at peace? Family, doing something terrifying anyway, and surfing – even when it looks from the beach like you have no idea what you are doing.
Rag Week memories was the moment the evening found its stride. One member confessed to a twenty-person wheelbarrow race, pints throughout, ten bars, and a landlady's house that did not survive. Twenty years of guilt followed. Another described their Galway Masters as a chance to let their hair down – which, after that testimony, sounded like a spa break.

Three excellent speeches followed. Bea's "Silence Isn't Always Quiet: What Meditation Taught Me" was personal and moving – feeling herself gliding, the beads that stayed the same while she had changed, noticing discomfort without turning away. "Without silence, your mind reveals all" and "what you chase, you don't get" left the room reconsidering their screen time. Pat made economics gripping with his speech on the Irish pharmaceutical industry – 50% of Irish exports, €1.5 billion in wages, roots in the 1950s, workforce built from the ground up. He closed on tariff uncertainty with: "We know us Irish – we have the ability to dig ourselves out of holes." . Kathy's "Lessons Learned" explored interdependence, lifting the weakest, and the daily challenge: "Did I lead? Did I waffle?", her research led approach to learning to lead, showed that there is much more behind the being a leader and that while some are born to lead it is those who do the work who become the ones worth following.

Ali brought a thoughtful Creative Corner – in a world where division feels ever present, she had us find what we all have in common, a timely reminder of how much more unites us than separates us. The evaluators then delivered superb experience-led evaluations on all three speeches, and Michael as General Evaluator gathered the Ah-Counter and Timekeeper reports before giving his overview of the evening. Toastmaster Helen closed out another superb and exciting Toastmasters meeting.

Galway Toastmasters - 21 January 2026 - Open Night: There be dragons!

 

With 2026 now in full swing Galway Toastmasters met for their open night. This event gave guests the chance to attend a meeting for free to see what a typical meeting is like. Members and especially guests were warmly welcomed by our Club President Warren. He handed over to our very experienced Toastmaster for the evening Frances to run the first half of the meeting. She introduced the officers for the meeting who each gave a short description of their role.

Ian was our Ah-Counter, Helen our Timekeeper and Connie our Grammarian. She introduced our word for the evening – Perplexed. Speakers were encouraged to use the word throughout the meeting whenever it could be appropriately included. We then had two members who were each double jobbing due to illness visiting two of our other members. Martin had the role of Scribe, who puts together the notes on the meeting for inclusion on our blog and also the role of General Evaluator who hosts the second half of the meeting and also evaluates the speech evaluators and the overall meeting. The final officer was Christoffer who held the role of Creative Corner which literally allows the member to present something short and entertaining near the end of the meeting e.g a short poem or story or even a dance! He also held the role of Topicsmaster which is where members practice their impromptu speaking.  He departed slightly from the traditional questions and answers by asking each member called upon to pick a number and he then asked them an associated question.

The Topics session included responses on:

The pros and cons of setting up a nuclear power plant in Galway;

Fighting off Vikings with a pasta spoon;

What you would place in a picture frame;

Whether the pen really is mightier than the sword and

How you would become rich quick.

There were a number of very good responses including from guests, which is a sign of how accessible the topics were. No one was perplexed in the least.

Following the Topics we had three wonderful prepared speeches. The first by Spencer, who is a relatively recent member, was called “The Contracting Life Cycle” relating to his experiences. The second by Michael was entitled “Don’t let the old man in” and dealt with keeping ourselves young while Pat’s speech called Toastmasters Time related time through the ages. These were three very different speeches by members at different levels of experience. This was a wonderful example for guests at our open night as it highlighted what members can achieve with the support of the club.

After our break Martin took over the meeting hosting duties as General Evaluator. He introduced the Speech Evaluators Warren, Ali and Bea who each evaluated one of the three speeches we heard before the break. All provided positive feedback while also suggesting potential areas for the speaker to challenge themselves.

Next Ian and Connie provided their reports on the Ah-counter and Grammarian roles respectively. This was followed by a wonderful Creative Corner hosted by Christoffer who was determined not to lower the high standard he had set with his Topics session. With the help of three volunteers he created a story of a princess and a dragon. One of our guests volunteered to take part in the Creative Corner which was wonderful to see.

Our General Evaluator, Martin then gave his feedback both on the Speech Evaluators, the officers for the meeting and the overall meeting. He highlighted all the effort the evaluators had put into their evaluations. He complimented all the officers on their role introductions which are very helpful to guests and new members in particular as they may not be familiar with the role of the Ah-counter for example. He recommended that the club look at the layout of seats at the meeting to make the best use of space. He then asked for volunteers to help fill the agenda for the next meeting on 04 February 2026. Finally, he handed back to the President Warren who closed the meeting.

Overall it was a wonderful Open Night ad showcased what our club has to offer. We look forward to welcoming our  new members into the club over the coming weeks.

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