A Vocational Talk by Ian Ireland

Tue, Nov 1st 2016 at 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm


The weekly meeting of the Rotary Club of Kirkcaldy was held at the Dean Park Hotel on Tuesday 1st November. 29 Kirkcaldy members were in attendance, visiting Rotarian Jim Boyd and one guest.

President’s business included a reminder of the 6th form quiz to be held on the 2nd November at Kirkcaldy High. President Mark, PP Ann Mitchell, Harry Mitchell, PP Iain Gow and PP Brian Munro had all managed to make it to the district conference in Aberdeen at the weekend. Mention was made that next year’s Fundraising Dinner is scheduled to be on 21st April 2017. Ian Brown urged Rotarians to support the Kirkcaldy Amateur Operatic Society by raising interest in the up and coming show of Fiddler on the Roof. The Gavel team has succeeded in winning all three of the recent competitions.

Secretary’s announcements highlighted that next week’s meeting is an evening meeting and partner’s night. The local heats for Rotary Young musician to be held at Balwearie on the 16th Nov.

New member George McLuskie was initiated into the club, George had previously been a member of Leven Rotary for six years. George is a press photographer and hopes to help build the image of the club in the local community.

The speaker was Club Member Ian Ireland who was quick to reassure us that unlike Doctors and Vets, Dentists were actually pretty boring and hence the reason no films had ever been made about them, realising this he would try not to bore us. As the Son of a Policeman he started life in the West of Fife moving on to live in Lochgelly and ultimately in Kirkcaldy. As the son of the police Inspector of Lochgelly he certainly had to adapt a few survival skills. He attended Kirkcaldy high and was a great achiever in what was already a very well performing school, this led on to him being accepted to study dentistry at Edinburgh University. At university he once again excelled and was awarded a very prestigious award.

Ian’s working life took him initially to Dunbar and then on to Dumfriesshire. The practice in Dumfriesshire grew and grew and Ian was personally responsible for the development of a new practice in Gretna. The Gretna practice proved interesting as the dentists often had to witness weddings and likewise the couples had to get married to the sound of dentist’s drills.

While in Dumfriesshire Ian got into horse riding in a big way and participated in formal equestrian parades as well as taking up hunting, interestingly Ian says that in all the years he hunted he never once saw a fox. Ultimately Ian sold up the business and moved to Perth, from here he moved on again to Forres. While living in Forres Ian became very interested in hill walking and Munro bagging and to this day has less than ten Munros left to bag. After 36 years in Dentistry Ian retired, and moved back to the Kirkcaldy area.

PP Bill Moodie gave the vote of thanks with reference to Ian s father whom he had known, Bill drew parallels to how Ian’s father had moved around Fife, Ian had moved around Scotland and now Ian’s Children had moved around the world with one in Chile and the other in Australia. Bill thanked Ian for a very informative and humorous talk.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday  8th November 6:15 for 6:30pm at the Dean Park Hotel.

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