Minister Neale Richmond visits Dundalk Credit Union to celebrate community and collaboration

Dundalk Credit Union was honoured to welcome Neale Richmond, Minister of State at the Department of Finance, with special responsibility for Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance to their Dundalk offices on Tuesday September 3.

The Minister was welcomed by Chair of the Board Bernadette Farrell, Chief Operating Officer Mark Toner and Chief Financial Officer Stephen Fealy.

Inside the Market Street Offices the team took the opportunity to demonstrate various member services and showed the Minister firsthand how they continue to thrive following their recent merger with Carrickmacross Credit Union. The Minister also met board members and local official representatives and thanked them for their contribution to Dundalk Credit Union over the years.

The minister’s visit was a wonderful opportunity to showcase the positive impact the Dundalk Credit Union has on the local community, supported by the dedication and commitment of numerous community groups and organisations. 

The event  was coordinated by Head of Sales & Business Development at Dundalk Credit Union, Naomi O'Donoghue, who said: "We are thrilled to host so many community partners and officials from the department today. As the Minister said in his speech, I messaged him on LinkedIn back in April, telling him he absolutely had to visit Dundalk to witness firsthand what a wonderful community the credit union are proud to serve.

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"He responded positively immediately and with help from Senator John McGahon, we were able to secure a visit, and we've made the most of the occasion today by putting the best of our community on show! It is great to see the Minister demonstrate his commitment to the credit union sector by not only visiting our offices today, but also making the time to stop by two neighbouring credit unions in the county."

During his visit, Minister Richmond visited the future offices of Dundalk Credit Union on Clanbrassil Street where he met with representatives from various sports groups, including Louth GAA, Dundalk FC, Louth School Girls League, and Dundalk School Boys League.

He also engaged with social service organisations like Turas and educational institutions such as DkIT, St Louis, St Mary’s, St Vincent’s, Colaiste Ris, and O’Fiaich. The Minister and the guests were treated to an amazing live soundtrack by  Dundalk Credit Union Brand Ambassador, Zoe Conway and her husband John McIntyre.

The event truly showed the best of the north east community with so many accomplished community members in attendance. The Minister was particularly impressed by the achievement of local athletes Kate O’Connor and Colette O’Hagan, and enjoyed insightful conversations with Dr Niamh Shaw and the Energy Team.

Dundalk Credit Union were delighted to present our story to the gathered crowd, outlining our growth, achievements, and ambitious plans for the future. The Minister was pleased to learn that as Dundalk Credit Union has grown, they have remained true to their founding ethos – the members remain the cornerstone of everything they do, and their commitment to supporting the wider community remains unwavering.

Minister Richmond’s visit not only highlighted the crucial role Dundalk Credit Union plays in the community, but also reinforced their dedication to fostering collaboration and supporting local organisations. The team at Dundalk Credit Union are grateful to all the volunteers and groups who joined us to share their stories, and they look forward to continuing their work together to build a stronger, more vibrant community.

David Donnelly, Head of Marketing and Communications at Dundalk Credit Union noted: "We are extremely grateful to all the groups who joined us to share our story, and we look forward to continuing to work together to build a stronger, more vibrant community. Our team from both our Dundalk and Carrick Offices put on an amazing showcase which will be remember for years to come. Dundalk Credit Union remains committed to putting our members first, and we are excited about the future as we continue to grow and support our local community."

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