Weekly Business:
Minutes: The minutes of 2nd February 2016 were read, agreed and signed by the President.
Matters arising: None not covered by the agenda.
Correspondence: None.
Social: Joe Alcorn said that menus are now available for the Club Lunch on 23rd February 2016.
Welfare: Cecil Spotten said he had nothing new to report this week.
The President reported that he had recently visited Arthur Nicholl who is now seriously ill and having problems with kidney stones.
Treasurer: Nigel Semple said he was currently collecting members’ subs. which are now due. The annual subscription remains at £25.00.
A O B:
1. Membership cards for 2016/17 are now available.
Before commencing his talk, John, in his new role as Co-ordinator of the Speakers committee, said he was sure that many members have interesting stories to tell. He would encourage them to put their talents to good use and consider preparing talks or presentations for future meetings.
Irelands Worst Railway Disaster.
John related that in 1990, when he was Rector of Armagh, this disaster was brought to his attention. He went on to tell the sad storey of the Armagh Rail Disaster which happened on Wed. 12th June 1889 near Armagh when a crowded GNR Sunday School Excursion train, possibly carrying
1,000 passengers, stalled and failed to negotiate a 1 in 75 gradient near Derry’s Crossing.
A series of13 errors committed by railway staff caused carriages, which had been disconnected from the main train, to plummet back down the line at 40 to 50 miles per hour towards Armagh, colliding with the following 10:35am train at a steep embankment. As a result 89 died and 260 were injured.
After questions in Parliament and legal proceedings, the Regulation of Railways Act of1889 was passed on 30th August 1889 thus providing greater safety for railway passengers in the whole of the British Isles.
A brief summary of this talk is available in the speakers record book and here on the club website.
A vote of thanks proposed by Bob McIvor was passed on to John McKegney by the President
Next Speakers Meeting: Will be on 16th February, when Mrs Joan Christie will tell us about 'My life as a Lord Lieutenant'. This will be followed TWO weeks later, on1st March, when the guest speaker will be Revd. Robert Simpson the topic of his talk being “Recent Experiences in Nigeria.
The President thanked everyone for attending, and hoped to see them at our next meeting.
Meeting closed at 12:00 noon.
SIGNED: Mike Turner
Vice President
Date: 16 February 2016