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ICS CANADA DAY PICNIC 2009 Sun, Spectacular Setting -- and 'Timmy' Warm sun, a gentle breeze, the Canadian flag flying from a castle turret and 13 kinds of Tim Horton's donuts and muffins - what a way to start a Canada Day celebration in the Walled Garden of Malahide Castle, one of Dublin's most beautiful settings! Families, couples and singles from seven counties enjoyed picnic lunches on the lawn of Malahide Castle's magnificent Walled Garden. Games were played with gusto, the traditional 'egg toss' providing particular laugh-out-loud fun. Game prizes galore -- Tims hats, golf shirts and 'jumpers' provided by Cuisine de France, bottles of wine provided by the embassy and Canadiana items provided by ICS, made for a lot of happy winners. Best of all, of course, was the good company the picnickers brought to each other. Each year the crowd changes a bit. Old friends who've returned to Canada are missed and new arrivals are warmly welcomed. What doesn't change is the pleasure that the mixing and mingling brings. A fond farewell was bid the Embassy's Richard Philippe, his wife Roisin and their children Genevieve, Renee and Tristan. Canadian ambassadors all, they will be greatly missed. Life membership certificates were presented to Richard and Roisin, along with a large Waterford crystal picture frame and a more-simply-framed picture of the family in Team Canada gear taken at ICS's Belfast Giants ice hockey excursion last February. The same gifts were presented to each of the children, the hockey picture for present fun, the Waterford frames for future graduation and wedding pictures. Free draw prize tickets included in the adult admission fee (there was no fee for children) began with the traditional ICS Canadiana Gift Basket. Along with the geographical mix provided by a bottle of wine from each of BC and Ontario (one white, one red), a sampler of Screech from Newfoundland and Labrador, four bottles of Moosehead and an Ann of Green Gables CD (donated by Ambassador Binns' wife Carol) to represent the Maritimes, the basket contained a can of Tim Horton's Coffee, two Canadiana coffee mugs and a pair of small Canadian flags. Next up on the draw prize list were a Canadiana umbrella designed exclusively for the Canadian Embassy in Ireland, more Tims jumpers and Guinness Storehouse tickets and six-packs of Smithwicks and Harp provided by Diageo. Along with Canadian flag transfers, there was a souvenir of the day for every youngster, too, each selecting a toy or a book from the wide selection provided by ICS. And then it was time for Ambassador Binns to cut a Happy Birthday Canada cake - much enjoyed even by those who had feasted all afternoon on Tims! Many people and organizations contributed to the Picnic's success. Particular thanks go to the Fingal County Council and Dublin Tourism officials and staff who are responsible for the Garden and the Castle. They were most welcoming and helpful in arranging our access to and the setting up of the Garden facilities and for flying the Canadian and Irish flags from the Castle's turrets. Within the ICS family special thanks go to past-Chair Pat McDonnell and Directors Theresa Kelloway and Fred Herrera for their several contributions to the preparations for and operation of the event. And in both their ICS family and official capacities special thanks also go to Pat and Carol Binns and Richard Philippe for their support and for the various embassy prize contributions referred to above. And, finally, mention has to be made of an extra-special decoration on this year's Picnic registration table, shown in the accompanying picture - a team jersey of Canada's Memorial Cup Champions Windsor Spitfires (the hometown team of a certain proud ICS Chair!) NEXT YEAR'S PICNIC WILL BE HELD ON SUNDAY, JUNE 27 and we're hoping very much that Malahide's Walled Garden (where the Victorian garden house makes for a successful event, Rain or Shine) will again be available to us. Dave Wilson, ICS Chair
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