
		Donore Credit Union

		Supporters and Pioneers of the Irish Credit Union Movement

		Founders Bio's

Supporters and Pioneers of the Irish Credit Union Movement

If the success in America had not been what it is, then the promptings received and all the books, films and literature would not have come this way and almost certainly the movement would not have boomed as it did. The assistance from America was of great importance and the founders and pioneers of the Irish credit union movement received expert technical advice on credit union operational procedure, moral support and encouragement in the face of scepticism and apathy and above all, personal visits on our behalf by credit union personnel from across the Atlantic;

Mr Joseph A Collerain, Houston, Texas
Reverend E.P. Delahunt, Trinidad
Mr George J Murphy, Chicago, Illinois
Mr Olaf Spetland, Director of CUNA World Extension Department, Madison, Wisconsin.
His Eminence Cardinal Aloysius Muench
Rev John Peter Sullivan, Jamaica
Mr Richard T. Lagerman, Colorado
Mr Leo H. Shapiro, San Francisco
Mr Raymond J Barrett, USA
Mr Seymour S. Goodman, USA

Allowing for oversights and possible omissions the people below are some of those early Irish pioneers in the fifties when a credit union movement in Ireland was just a dream. Due to them and countless others the dream of Nora, Séamus and Sean is now a reality.

Lieut-General M.J. Costello — was also involved in the formation of the movement. He was a member of the National Co-operative Council and a staunch supporter of the co-operative endeavours. He was always available to the Credit Union Extension Service (CUES) for advice. When the opportunity arose to preach the gospel outside Dublin he drove members. Well known for spoken and written contributions, in particular on agricultural and sociologically related ideas, and on self government and on social organisations, he inspired thousands of people, and travelled as a speaker to numerous venues to promote credit unions in Ireland.

Dr. Muriel Gahan — was born in Co Mayo. She had a keen interest in co-operation and in 1946 she founded Country Markets a co-operative society. She was the Director of the Country Shop in St Stephens Green until it closed. Her interest in co-operation led her to the Daonscoil in Skerries which led to her joining the CUES and to attending the meetings in the Irish Graphical Society offices at 35 Gardiner Street, Dublin.

This led to her belief in Nora’s ability to represent the Co-operative and Credit Movements on the Government’s Committee on Co-operative Societies. She was widely known in connection with the Irish Countrywoman’s Association (ICA) and was responsible for the ICA’s nomination of Nora for membership of the Government Committee, making it possible for a credit union voice to be heard in its deliberations.

In this connection one cannot overestimate her invaluable contribution to Nora’s efforts in the matter of credit union legislation.

Through the Country Shop she was to provide an initial £5 donation to help the infant CUES and as chairman of Country Markets she encouraged them to put their money into credit unions.

Rev P. Gallagher — was known as the ‘leading light in the North of Ireland’. It is said that he cycled thousands of miles on behalf of the movement. He was a secondary school teacher and taught at St Tiernachs. A great leader, he made the movement broad based in the North and aided in no small way the founding of Clones Credit Union. He was the first President of Clones Credit Union and also a director. Father Gallagher ensured the union was open to all and that it was not there just to facilitate one section of the community. He played a leading part in getting all parts of the community to work together. He was the first president of the movement and was the first European CUNA affiliate to go to Wisconsin in 1961.

Gladys Guinan — from Dalkey, Co Dublin. This charming and well travelled lady heard of credit unions from her friends in Canada. Brendan O’Cearbhuill of the National Co-operative Council spread the news in connection with the Dun Laoire Co-operative becoming a credit union and Mrs Guinan became interested. So much so that when the Treasurer of Dun Laoghaire Borough Credit Union, Capt Michael Quinlan, left Ireland for military duties in the Congo in 1961, Mrs Guinan took over his position in the credit union and his position of Treasurer of the Credit Union League of Ireland, as it was then called. Mrs Guinan spoke frequently about the voluntary aspect of the movement and was also involved with Dalkey Credit Union.

John Hume — has for several decades been one of the best known figures in British and Irish politics, closely associated with the long and winding road of the Northern Irish peace process. In recognition of the achievements of this marathon political career, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. However, one of his less well-known initiatives, pre-dating his life in politics, has been one of the longest-lasting - a grassroots community project, which has given people in his home town of Derry access to affordable credit. In 1960, at the age of 23, John Hume was one of six founders of Northern Ireland's first credit union, Derry Credit Union. By the time he was 27, John Hume was president of the island-wide Credit Union League of Ireland and Vice President of an international credit union movement.

Rev Dr. C. Lucey — was a Professor at Maynooth for twenty two years where he lectured and wrote on the co-operative movement. He was particularly interested in Producers’ Co-operatives and Consumer Co-operatives. The movement owes a great deal to Dr Lucey, Bishop of Cork and Ross, who brought the credit union to Cork. He promoted the movement through his writings and sermons all over his diocese. He had seen credit unions working in the USA and this aided him in no small degree in establishing the movement in Cork. He viewed the credit unions as serving two purposes. They would give an incentive to save and so it would be possible to lend money at a cheaper rate than moneylenders and second it would pay depositors a higher rate than they would get from the commercial or savings bank. Ballyphehane was a new area to be developed so Dr Lucey thought this was the place to start and decided to pilot credit unions there. He gave the credit union a £1,000 guarantee against failure and with the help of Archdeacon Duggan the credit union was established. Dr Lucey became President of Muintir na Tire in 1961.

Tomas MacGabhann — a County Monaghan man, Mr MacGabhann was interested in the co-operative movement back in the forties in relation to work in Trade Union Movement particularly in Monaghan. He read literature on credit unions from America but did not find them appealing until he attended the Daonscoil in May 1957 in Skerries where he met Nora Herily, Séamus P. MacEoin, Sean Forde and others, and formed CUES and attended meetings in Gardiner Street, Dublin. He was instrumental in setting up the Monaghan Trades Council and in spreading the credit union movement in that area.

Aingeal & Eileen Ni Bhrion — others who aided the movement in its inception were Mrs Aingeal Ni Bhrion with her sister Eileen. Both sisters attended the Daonscoil in Skerries in 1957 to learn about co-operation and from that meeting they became pioneers of Donore Credit Union, the first community based credit union in Ireland. They became deeply involved by organising home chats, known as ‘fire side chats’ based on the idea of Canon Hayes, founder of Muintir na Tire. Members of the local community put their homes at their disposal and over tea and biscuits they spread the word. The first chapter meeting in Ireland took place in the home of the Ni Bhrion clan. Eileen served on the first Board of Directors on the Credit Union League of Ireland.

Brendan O’Cearbhuill — from Dublin was the inspiration behind the National Co-Operative Council. The Council set up the Daonscoil from which the credit union movement grew. The council provided offices for CUES and Mr O’Cearbhuill was always in the background for help. He was a founder member of the Dun Laoghaire Co-operative and Credit Union. It is acknowledged that his promotional work benefited all involved in the movement. He was described as ‘an extremely energetic and dedicated man’.

Lieut. Col. M. Quinlan — born in Co Kerry, this popular and capable ‘Hawley’ as he was known to most, first heard of credit unions in 1956. The Government started a savings campaign, and a savings group was established in Dun Laoghaire Co-op, of which he was part. Hawley was then Secretary of the Co-operative and Treasurer of its Savings Committee. When enthusiasm waned with cut backs in governmental advertising on the topic, Brendan O’Cearbhuill put him in contact with Nora Herlihy and Sean Forde and it was decided to change the savings scheme into a credit union. He was Treasurer of Dun Laoghaire Borough Credit Union and of the Credit Union League of Ireland (now the Irish League of Credit Unions).