Thursday, September 15, 2011

Thursday 11.55pm.
Friday leaving the Crescent at 8.20. Saturday and Sunday leaving at 8.
The main message from tonight's meeting is the hope that more collectors will make themselves available for Sat. and Sun. in Dublin. If that does not happen then we will not nearly maximise our possibilities and the enormous efforts that have gone into organising the whole project. Perhaps there are people who might come on board again for Sat./Sun. even if they have done a day already.
The schedule for Sat. is arriving in O'Connell St. (maybe based close to Tom Maye's Pub Dorset St.) between 1 and 1.30pm. The schedule for Sun. is to meet up at 10.30 ish. There are 10 to 12 venues identified such as 3/4 train stations/Bus Aras/O'Connell St./Dorset St./Drumcondra pubs eg. Kennedys & Fagan's/Quinn's and McGrath's pubs/ North Circular Rd. past Jones's Rd., Gills Pub et al / Barry's Hotel and that particular ST. to Mountjoy SQ with the buses there etc/Car Parks and so on i.e. approx 12 to 15 teams of 3 people each.

Thursday 4/7. 8.45 pm. I arrived back an hour ago from today’s ‘Walk’. I had wondered, in the accounts coming back from the first three days, of people having, we’ll call it, ‘a fun day’/'enjoying themselves'. Well our team had a ‘fun/enjoyable’ day today also. We had a GREAT team ably led by Margaret O’Neill who started the day talking to Hector on 2FM’s ‘Breakfast with Hector’ Radio Show. A number of people along the route referred to hearing about us on that show, that we were coming! Thanks to the Bonnicci family for arranging same. We did pretty well considering the testing environment out there. But one has to emphasise that the reception we got was very good/considerate/decent and from time to time appreciative of what we were about. Our team engaged with potential customers with courtesy/humour and the kind of sales pitches which might take a long,long time to learn at ‘sales colleges’. They were brilliant. Do not be shy, ask, do not ignore places as ‘not worthwhile’. Judge how many might go into a premises. Don’t overpower. Humour/Smile. Let the adrenaline take over. Be polite and thankful always. Try and get a hook into a potential customer. What breed of dog is that? Does that dog bite? An easy one would be a car reg. for say LM; what part of Leitrim do you come from? If someone says, going into a shop, ‘I’ll get change and see you when I come out’…wait. Use the van to catch up on your group. In Enfield, as it will be tomorrow, divide either side of the street and work the street like politicians used to do. Try and come up with a strategy that you know what has been ‘done’ by other groups. Bowl into bars etc. Don’t be shy. Engage…lovely day. When asked a question such as; ‘What are you collecting for?’ ‘I am collecting for Boyle GAA Club. We overstretched ourselves, during the Celtic Tiger and owe a lot of money. The answer I got, along with a few euros, was, ‘I know all about that’. Enjoy and be seen as if you are enjoying yourself and if someone does not come up trumps it isn’t the end of the world. The first few approaches are the hardest. Get confidence from each other and create a team bond. Go for it. I’m sorry if the teacher is breaking out in me!

We are back to Sat./Sun. of course and people there coming out to help and people in Boyle contacting their Boyle friends in Dublin et al to come out and help for an hour or two. Boyle Junior Ladies team sponsored by Green Veterinary and Kennels play Western Gaels this Saturday 17 Saturday in the Junior A Championship Final in Cootehall, throw-in 1.30pm. Please support. I'm going to a meeting now, 8.45pm, and I may post some ideas from that later plus posting a representative pic. from today. Slán.



Back:Pat Duignan, Regina McLoughlin, Mary Smith, Claire Conway, T.C., Aidan Lavin, Barry Lowe. Front: Eilish Goldrick, Carmel Goldrick, Margaret O'Neill (Team Capt.), Mary Clifford.

Thursday's team - Mullingar to Moyvalley

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