1987 Gathering (No 35)

35th O'MALLEY CLAN RALLY

Saturday 11 July and Sunday 12 July 1987

The action-packed 35th O'Malley Clan Rally was held on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th July, 1987, and the most active participant was our 88 year old Chieftain, Anthony of Doughmakeon, who with his twinkling blue eyes and inimitable humour led us a merry dance for the two days.

He greeted us at 10.30 a.m. on Saturday morning in the Quay Cottage, Westport Quay, the charming restaurant run by Peter McDonough and Kristen McCormick Blackwell who hosted an exhibition of water colours by Baroness Alexandra Van Hout, entitled The Land and Sea of Grainne Uaile. A pleasant easy-going viewing took place on a beautiful sunny summer morning, where O'Malley visitors from all over the world met and exchanged pleasantries in the presence of Anthony, the Baroness and her family. Kristen provided us with early morning refreshments and it was a lovely start to the activities that followed.

After lunch some of the international visitors went on a bus tour of the Louisburgh/Leenane area ending with afternoon tea at Kylemore Abbey. The Chieftain, Anthony and his daughter Brigid and Sheila O'Malley Mulloy led the tour and Sheila gave the history of the area and the weather held good throughout the trip.

The next stop was the Urban District Council Building in Castlebar Street, where at 6:oo p.m. Seamus Hughes, Chairman of the Westport U.D.C., and Councillor John Joe O 'Malley gave a civic reception for the Clan, with a special welcome for all our overseas visitors, especially the O'Malleys who had come all the way from New Zealand, as Westport town was twinned with Westport New Zealand and some delegates from Westport would be going to New Zealand in 1988 for the Westport get together.

The Chairman then made a presentation to our Chieftain, and various members of the Council paid tribute to Anthony including Mayo County Council Chairman, Martin J. O'Toole whose wife is also an O'Malley, and a very sociable hour was had. The next stop was the Derrylahane, Louisburgh, where the Chieftain received at least 200 guests from U.S., America, Africa, Britain and of course Ireland. Paddy 0'Malley acted as Master of Ceremonies and got local musicians to provide some great Irish music, and many of the guests joined in the singing and. entertainment, and the sport and crack went on into the small hours of the morning.

On Sunday, 12th July, another busy day started with Mass in the Parochial Hall, Main Street, Louisburgh, celebrated by Fr. Pat O'Malley from Malawi, son of our Chieftain, and he welcomed us on behalf of his father and all his family and gave what was easily the best sermon heard at any of the Rallies. You could hear a pin drop as he held the congregation spellbound, and at the end of the sermon an O'Malley was heard to sing "You would be proud to be an O'Malley". A choir of young Louisburgh girls provided the hymns during the mass and Elaine McEvilly, who had the most beautiful voice, sang a solo. Mrs. Clementine Lyons was the leader of some very talented young musicians. All in all it was a very moving Mass. Other priests who attended the Rally were Very Rev. Éamon O'Malley P.P. Kilmeena; Rev. Des O'Malley, O.F.M., Galway and Rev Tom O'Malley, C.S.Sp., Dublin.

We then adjourned to Hotel Westport, having said goodbye to Fr. Pat who had to leave us. There we were welcomed by our Guardian Chieftain Martin and about 200 people sat to a fine luncheon provided by the Hotel Westport. After lunch Guardian Chieftain Martin asked Anthony to install Joe O'Malley-Blackwell, our Tánaiste, as Chieftain. Anthony gave a short speech and said it gave him great pleasure to hand over his staff of office to Joe.

Our new Chieftain then gave a special word of thanks to Anthony, and said what a pleasure it had been to work with Anthony over the year. They had travelled the County together and met a lot of O'Malleys en route.

Joe then thanked the local Committee, Sheila O'Malley-Mulloy; Anthony 0'Malley, Secretary; Maurice, Treasurer; Kitty, Recording Secretary and Committee members Brendan, Jim, John Joe, and Gráinne O'Malley-McKibben. He then thanked all the O'Malleys who came from near and far, especially past Chieftain Brian from Boston, and Ellen Hodges Devitt, present Clan Chieftain in Chicago, and then introduced us to the new Tánaiste, Alice from Chicago.

Alice told us how she runs the largest O'Malley rally in the world in Chicago every year, with over 1,500 people present and how proud she was to be our new Tánaiste. Ellen Hodges then said a few words and also Tony 0'Malley from New Zealand. After lunch the entertainment began as usual with Tony Chambers and his Ballroom of Romance Orchestra getting all the O'Malleys on their feet, and keeping them dancing and singing for the afternoon.

The Annual General Meeting was he while the entertainment was going on and it was very controversial. It was suggested by the Local Committee that we adopt a constitution and some of the items in the draft constitution led to various reactions, some for and some against, so it was decided to put the ratification off for another year so that people would have time to think about it and put any suggestions or changes they would like to have incorporated in writing1in time for next year's rally.

)

The meeting was informed that we were forming a Limited Company to protect ourselves against any claims which might arise out of the rally.

The Trust told us about the results of the essay competition. All in all it was a very intensive few days, but very enjoyable.

Kitty O'Malley Harlow