A LONG and distinguished career of public service to the farmers of Limerick and Clare was celebrated in the South Court Hotel by a large gathering of staff of the Department of Agriculture, past and present, along with many appreciative farming and veterinary practice clients.
Geraldine O'Brien, Castleconnell, is well deserving of all the accolades and words of thanks given to her, both in prose and poetry, following a career of over 40 years in the department.
Like many of those brass and yellow tagged creatures that she traced and recorded over her years of duties in Limerick DVO, Geraldine has now been “let out to grass” with a skip and a jump and the promise of many long and pleasant days ahead, in the company of her beloved family and friends.
Farming community representatives as well as department colleagues, many who became life-long friends, expressed their appreciation to Geraldine for her kindness, sincerity and humour over the years, in solving problems and ensuring her work was always completed to the highest standard, in a pleasant and unassuming manner.
Geraldine wished to thank all who attended and her colleagues, friends and family.
“I want to thank Linda Delohery who put in so much hard work behind the scenes to make the night so special. Linda will now take over from me. She already is such a great asset with her great work ethic and is so liked and respected so I’m leaving it all in good hands,” said Geraldine, who gave a special mention to her good friend and mentor Brendan Walsh who joined them virtually.
“Brendan retired in January and is so missed in the office. It was not so much my night but also yours, Brendan. I would also like to thank Frank Reidy for doing a great job as MC and all who made speeches for their kind words. Finally, I want to thank the farmers of Limerick and Clare – it was my pleasure to have dealt with you all down through the years,” she said.
