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.

Dragon image Easy-Peasy Ai (https://easy-peasy.ai/ai-image-generator/images/friendly-dragon-clipart-cheerful-design)

Galway Toastmasters 10th December 2025 - Christmas Cheer

 Galway Toastmasters held its last meeting of 2025 and combined it with a party! 

On the night Warren opened the meeting before handing over to Ali who acted as both Toastmaster and General Evaluator, while Robert took the role of Timekeeper. We had speeches by Kathy who spoke about "Phenomenal Women", Christoffer who told us all about "Christmas lunch with the neighbours" and Paul who gave his Icebreaker speech called "Finding my Voice". 

After a short break to allow evaluators talk to the speakers, we had the evaluations. Kathy, Christoffer and Pauls speeches were evaluated by Killian, Pat and Warren respectively. They highlighted the good elements of the speeches and made some recommendations for future improvements.

Following the evaluations the Christmas party commenced  which was an opportunity for members to mix and chat. There was also a Secret Santa session which doubled as a topics session. Even when we're having fun, we're always learning.

Events like these help both build the bond between members and a sense of positivity as the year comes to a close. 

The next meeting of the club will be on the 7th January, 2026.

In the meantime Galway Toastmasters wishes you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

 

Galway Toastmasters 12 November 2025 - Sleep, stories and meeting again

 

Our meeting got underway at 8.00 and was opened by Martin as Warren, our President, was absent. After some brief comments he handed over to Frances, who is our Area director, to say a few words as she was on her club visit. Christoffer then took over as Toastmaster for the first half of the meeting. He is an experienced Toastmaster and it showed in the ease with which he guided us through the meeting. The officers were introduced for the benefit of members and guests. Ali, Connie and Bea were our Ah-Counter, Grammarian and Timekeeper respectively while Frances took on the role of Creative Corner and Martin explained the General Evaluator role.

Unfortunately, our scheduled Topicsmaster for the evening was unavoidably unable to attend so instead there was a round robin of topics. Martin asked the first question and whoever was chosen to answer it would provide the next question once any add-ons were complete. This shows how adaptable Toastmasters can learn to be through the support and flexibility of our club. Some of the topics were “What would you be doing if you weren’t at this meeting?”, “When did you have your last belly laugh?”, “Who is the person who listens to you the most?” and “What would you recommend someone to watch as a good series e.g. on Netflix?”

The topics session was followed by three prepared speeches. Niamh treated us to a speech entitled “The Science of Sleep” which was really interesting. She was followed by Helen who gave us her speech “A tribute to our vibrant legacy of folklore” which, with our love of stories had everyone enthralled. Our final speaker was Kathy who was starting out on a new Path, Motivational Strategies and gave her icebreaker speech entitled “A Re-introduction”.

Following a break for tea/coffee the second half of our meeting was opened by Martin as our General Evaluator. He introduced the evaluators for all three speeches in turn – Spencer, Michael and Mark respectively. They provided feedback on each speech highlighting the really good standards that each speaker met, while also giving them one or two suggestions they can consider for future speeches.

Frances then followed with her Creative Corner before Ali and Connie gave their reports as Ah-counter and Grammarian.

Martin gave a short presentation on the new Pathway changes regarding changes around roles counting towards each level. He then filled the roles for the following meeting on 26 November 2025 before closing the meeting.

Galway Toastmasters - 29 October 2025 - Samhain treats without the tricks

The Club President, Warren, opened the meeting and introduced the Toastmaster for evening, Maud.  She outlined her role to lead the first half of the meeting and invited each meeting officer to the lectern to outline their respective role(s); Michael, the Timekeeper, to prompt speakers with visual/audible cues to ensure they remained within their allotted time; Connie, the “Ah Counter”, to raise speakers’ awareness of usage of crutch or filler words/phrases; Martin, the Grammarian, introduced the word of the day, “Apparition”; Ali, the Scribe, to take meeting minutes; Pat, assigned Creative Corner, to share something (anything!) with the audience ;Kathy, the meeting’s Topics Master, to help us practice speaking about a topic without any preparation

The Topics session got underway with Kathy’s topics ranging from “What lights you up?”, to sense of community, to useful lifehacks. Participation was strong and members spoke passionately regarding all topics.

The evening’s first speech was an Icebreaker by Kilian, a recently joined member of Toastmasters Galway, who outlined what brought him to Toastmasters. Kilian took us on a journey of his once fear of public speaking and included several quotes from prominent businessman and historical figures to embrace the challenge of overcoming fear of public speaking.

The second speech of evening, delivered by Mark, was about embracing transition year for 4^th year secondary school students. Due to this being a Level 4 speech, it was allotted a time of 15-20 minutes and included a highly interactive Q&A session at the end. Mark used PowerPoint slides to convey his message that transition year is not a wasted year; it provides students with addition perspective regarding life outside of school and an extra year to develop maturity before embarking on the senior cycle of secondary school.

The evening’s final speech, titled “Forgotten Hero”, a story about a historical figure called Michael Lally from Tuam, was delivered by Francis. This was an advanced speech and as part of her chosen pathway. As part of the speech, Francis was required to deal with a disruptive audience. Planned disruptions by fellow toastmasters included chattering within the audience and heckling. Francis navigated through the disruptions in a cool, calm manner and successfully delivered her speech.

After the interval where toastmasters, new and experienced, mingled over tea/coffee, the speech evaluators presented their evaluations for the three earlier speeches; Pat praised Kilian’s icebreaker speaker, Helen commended Mark’s preparation and speech delivery, and Bea commended Francis’ composure and ability to remain “calm, centred and unshaken” despite disruptions during her speech.

Paul, a recent new member of Galway Toastmasters, had a Halloween themed quiz for the audience as part of Creative Corner. The audience were engaged and there plenty of laughter at some of the choices for the multichoice questions.

The meeting officers shared their findings with the audience – Word of the Day “Apparition” was used 6 times!

Warren, the meeting’s General Evaluator, commented on the meeting as a whole and the speech evaluations, providing positive overall feedback. Before finishing up, he imparted with a message to “Stay present with the audience” as a tip to his fellow toastmasters.

Martin, the Vice President of Education, took names for speakers and meeting officer roles to populate the agenda for the next meeting. All roles were filled!

Warren, this time as Club President again, closed the meeting on time.

A thoroughly enjoyable evening with fellow Toastmasters!