Tag Archive for: IJA Annual Dinner

IJA Annual Dinner Grand Prize Winner Plans Dream Trip to Japan!

/in /by

We are excited to share that the winner of the IJA Annual Dinner 2025 Grand Prize, Peter Callaghan, is now planning his unforgettable journey to Japan.
.
Peter won an incredible prize – return flight tickets and a one-week travel package for two to Osaka – generously sponsored by our 2025 Travel Partners, Finnair and Oomi Travel.

.

Grand Prize winner Peter Callaghan (centre) with Darina Slattery, Oomi Travel (left) and Catherine Grennell-Whyte, Finnair/ATTS (right)

.
Here’s what Peter had to say about winning:

‘I was shocked when my number was called out. I have never won anything like that, and then to win such a fantastic prize! It didn’t really sink in till later, and when I told my wife, she was absolutely thrilled – this trip is a bucket list experience for her.’

.

Although Peter has travelled to Tokyo many times for work, this will be his first time exploring beyond the capital. Together with his wife, he plans to discover the rich history, traditions, and stunning landscapes of Osaka, Kyoto, and Hiroshima – from majestic temples to breathtaking scenery.

.‘I am so grateful to Finnair and Oomi Travel for their incredible generosity and their kind arrangements for this once-in-a-lifetime experience.’ 

.

We extend our sincere thanks to our Grand Prize Sponsors and valued IJA 2025 Travel Partners: Finnair and Oomi Travel for their generous support.

.

.

.

A Celebration of Ireland-Japan Friendship: Highlights from the IJA Annual Dinner 2025

/in /by

The Ireland Japan Association would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who joined us for the IJA Annual Dinner 2025, held on Friday, 16th May at the luxurious Conrad Hotel in Dublin.

This special evening was a celebration of friendship, culture, and the strong connections between Ireland and Japan. It was a pleasure to welcome our members, friends, supporters, and special guests for a night of networking, cultural appreciation, and shared experiences.

 

 

Catherine Grennell-Whyte, IJA Chairperson

 

Catherine Grennell-Whyte, IJA Chairperson:

“It’s incredible how we (IJA) have evolved from being a cultural society with an admirable mission into a thriving community built upon three foundational pillars: Business, Education and Culture. It’s these three intersecting pillars that make the IJA a unique, vibrant association.

In recent years, we have accelerated our growth not just in numbers but also in impact.

Our individual members, many of whom are here this evening, remain at the heart of this association. Your enthusiasm brings inspiration and energy to everything we do. Whether it is our ever-popular weekly conversation groups, the Book Club, or our amazing and varied workshops, it is your presence that gives these events meaning and success.

Equally, shining a light on our corporate members – you are the engine that allows us to do more and reach further. You play an increasingly vital role in our development. Your support, especially in recent years, has allowed us to scale our ambitions – to deliver high-quality business forums like our Fireside Chat Series, to continue our Ushioda Scholarship Programme, and to invest in wonderful events such as The Japan Experience at Farmleigh. You are not just members of this association; you are partners in advancing the Ireland–Japan relationship.”

 

We were honoured by the presence of our Patron, H.E. Mr. Junji Shimada, Ambassador of Japan to Ireland, who joined us as Guest of Honour along with his wife, Mrs. Kaoru Shimada. We were also privileged to welcome Mr. Jack Chambers, Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Services, Reform and Digitalisation, and Mr. Hideo Yura, Director General at JETRO London, along with representatives from the Irish and Japanese business, diplomatic, academic, and cultural communities.

IJA Council and corporate members together with Annual Dinner Special Guests: IJA Patron, H.E. Mr. Junji Shimada, Ambassador of Japan to Ireland, and his wife, Mrs. Kaoru Shimada, Mr. Jack Chambers, Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Services, Reform and Digitalisation, and Mr. Hideo Yura, Director General at JETRO London.

 

Ambassador Shimada and Minister Chambers delivered speeches congratulating the IJA on another successful year, and emphasised the association’s vital role in strengthening the Ireland-Japan relationship. On behalf of the Irish Government, Minister Chambers also thanked Catherine Grennell-Whyte for her leadership, dedication, and achievements.

 

IJA Patron, H.E. Mr. Junji Shimada, Ambassador of Japan to Ireland

 

Jack Chambers, Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Services, Reform and Digitalisation

 

The evening featured a sake and prosecco reception, a delicious three-course dinner, engaging speeches, and a vibrant celebration of Japanese culture and tradition. Guests enjoyed a carefully curated menu with accompanying wine and had the chance to win incredible prizes during the raffle draw – including the grand prize: return flight tickets and a one-week travel package for two to Osaka, Japan, generously sponsored by our 2025 Travel Partners – Finnair and Oomi Travel.

 

The lucky winner of the Grand Prize together with Darina Slattery, Oomi Travel and Catherine Grennell-Whyte, Finnair. The prize included return flight tickets and a one-week travel package for two to Osaka, Japan, generously sponsored by IJA 2025 Travel Partners – Finnair and Oomi Travel.

 

We would like to express our sincere thanks to all our raffle prize sponsors for their generosity and support:
Azumi Uchitani, Dillon Eustace, Eddie Hughes, Fitzwilliam Capital, SuMi TRUST, Yamamori, Neil Cowhey and Laura Goonan.

Special thanks also go to the Dublin School for Japanese Children who prepared beautiful origami decorations for our dinner guests – a thoughtful gesture that added charm to each table and honoured Japan’s rich cultural heritage.

 

 

We are truly grateful to the team at Conrad Dublin for their excellent service, warm hospitality, and meticulous attention to detail, all of which ensured the evening ran smoothly.

We deeply appreciate the ongoing support of our members and community, and we look forward to many more opportunities to connect, collaborate, and strengthen the ties between Ireland and Japan in the future.

Arigatou gozaimasu – thank you once again for being part of this special celebration!

IJA Annual Dinner 2025 – Video Highlights

Photos: Shane Cullen, K9 Studio

 

Catherine Grennell-Whyte, IJA Chairperson (Finnair/ATTS) and Neil Cowhey, IJA Vice Chairperson (Dillon Eustace)

 

IJA Annual Dinner 2025 | Conrad Dublin

 

Catherine Grennell-Whyte, IJA Chairperson, Mrs. Kaoru Shimada and H.E. Mr. Junji Shimda, Ambassador of Japan to Ireland, Raymond Hegarty, IJA Council

 

Raymond Hegarty, IJA Council and Master of Ceremonies

 

Teresa Weafer, Google Ireland, William Smyth, Fitzwilliam Capital, Graham Ryan, Yamamori Group, H.E. Mr. Junji Shimada, Ambassador of Japan to Ireland and Mrs. Kaoru Shimada

 

H.E. Mr. Junji Shimada, Ambassador of Japan to Ireland, Jack Chambers, Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Services, Reform and Digitalisation, and Mrs. Kaoru Shimada

 

Saara Heinola, Embassy of Finland in Ireland, Keiko Nakata, Embassy of Japan in Ireland, Mrs. Kaoru Shimada and Darina Slattery, Oomi Travel

 

Peter Vambeck, Fitzwilliam Capital, Saara Heinola, Embassy of Finland in Ireland, Graham Ryan, Yamamori Group, William Smyth, Fitzwilliam Capital, Jack Chambers, Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Services, Reform and Digitalisation, Catherine Grennell-Whyte, IJA Chairperson, H.E. Mr. Junji Shimada, Ambassador of Japan to Ireland and Mrs. Kaoru Shimada.

 

Catherine Grennell-Whyte, IJA Chairperson

 

Catherine Grennell-Whyte, IJA Chairperson and Jack Chambers, Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure Public Services, Reform and Digitalisation

 

H.E. Mr. Junji Shimada, Ambassador of Japan to Ireland, Catherine Grennell-Whyte, IJA Chairperson and Mrs. Kaoru Shimada

 

Oomi Travel team with Darina Slattery, founder of Oomi Travel and Catherine Grennell-Whyte, IJA Chairperson (Finnair) – with the IJA Annual Dinner 2025 Grand Prize ticket

 

IJA Annual Dinner 2025 | Conrad Dublin

 

IJA Annual Dinner 2025 | Conrad Dublin

 

IJA Annual Dinner 2025 | Conrad Dublin

 

IJA Annual Dinner 2025 | Conrad Dublin

 

We gratefully acknowledge the sponsors of the raffle prizes for the IJA Annual Dinner 2025!

IJA Annual Dinner 2024: Celebrating the Irish-Japanese Community

/in /by
Ireland Japan Association’s Annual Dinner 2024, a significant event for the Irish-Japanese community, was held on May 17th at the Conrad Dublin hotel. Esteemed members of the Ireland Japan Association and distinguished guests, including key figures from government, business, academia, and the arts, gathered to celebrate the strong ties between Ireland and Japan.
.
The evening began with a Sake & Prosecco reception, creating an atmosphere of elegance and camaraderie. Master of Ceremonies Raymond Hegarty warmly welcomed attendees. Guests then enjoyed a sumptuous three-course meal in the beautiful Ballroom, followed by a Prize Giving ceremony.
.

IJA Council Members with special guests: H.E. Mr. Norio Maruyama, Ambassador of Japan in Ireland, H.E. Ms. Leena Gardemeister, Ambassador of Finland to Ireland, and Mr. Jack Chambers, State Minister for the Department of Transport and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.

.
H.E. Mr. Norio Maruyama, Ambassador of Japan in Ireland and IJA Patron, honoured the event with his presence and delivered an inspiring address.
.
Special guest Mr. Jack Chambers, State Minister for the Department of Transport and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, gave a memorable speech, sharing insights from his recent visit to Japan.

.

H.E. Mr. Norio Maruyama, Ambassador of Japan in Ireland.

.

Mr. Jack Chambers, State Minister for the Department of Transport and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.

.
IJA Chairperson Catherine Grennell-Whyte highlighted the association’s mission and recent achievements. She noted the rapid growth and expansion of the association, marked by a variety of events and activities throughout the year and an increasing number of individual and corporate members.
.
“We are committed to fostering education, cultural exchange, and business opportunities between Ireland and Japan,” said Catherine Grennell-Whyte. “Our goal is to build a vibrant community offering real benefits and opportunities through close collaborations, cultural appreciation, innovative business discussions, and invaluable networking.”
.

Catherine Grennell-Whyte, IJA Chairperson

 
.
The IJA Annual Dinner 2024 was a memorable night, celebrating the enduring bond between Ireland and Japan.
.

IJA Annual Dinner 2024 Prosecco & Sake Reception at The Conrad, Dublin.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

The IJA Council expresses its gratitude to the Dublin School for Japanese Children for crafting and presenting exquisite Japanese origami decorations to our dinner guests. We extend our heartfelt appreciation to the event team at Conrad Dublin for their exceptional hospitality and service during our event. We also want to extend our thanks to Raymond Hegarty, Master of Ceremonies, and our dedicated event team for their invaluable time, support, and contributions in making this year’s event a resounding success.

.

The IJA Council extends gratitude to the prize sponsors for their ongoing support and generous contributions: Dillon Eustace, Finnair, Japan Rugby and Football Union, KWE Ireland, Oomi Travel, Mitsubishi Electric, NTT Data, PwC Ireland, and SuMi TRUST.
.
.

Photo Gallery | IJA Annual Dinner 2024

Photos: Stephen Cullen, K9 Studio

.

(If you were a guest at the IJA Annual Dinner 2024 and would like to receive an access to full photo gallery from the night, please email your request to: info@ija.ie)

.

IJA Annual Dinner 2023 | Photo Gallery

/in /by

On 12th May the IJA members, friends, and supporters celebrated and enjoyed one of our biggest events of the year – the IJA Annual Dinner 2023. This year’s event took place at one of the most beautiful and luxurious Dublin venues – Conrad Dublin Hotel.

 

 

The IJA Council was delighted to welcome H.E. Mr. Norio Maruyama, Ambassador of Japan in Ireland and the IJA Patron, as well as Mr. Jack Chambers, State Minister for the Department of Transport and the Department of the Environment, Climate & Communications, as special guests and speakers at the event.

 

From left: Ms. Tsugumi Yamamoto, IJA Vice Chairperson, H.E. Mr. Norio Maruyama, Ambassador of Japan in Ireland and the IJA Patron, Ms. Catherine Grennell-Whyte, IJA Chairperson, Mr. Jack Chambers, State Minister for the Department of Transport and the Department of the Environment, Climate & Communications, and Mr. Raymond Hegarty, IJA Ex-Officio and Master of Ceremonies. Photo: Stephen Cullen, K9 Studio

 

The evening began with Sake reception, kindly supported by the IJA Council in cooperation with Retro Vino Wine & Sake. Reception was followed by welcome words from Raymond Hegarty, IJA Ex-Officio and Master of Ceremonies, and after that dinner guests enjoyed a delicious 3-course meal in the beautiful Ball Room.

 

Raymond Hegarty, IJA Ex-Officio and Master of Ceremonies. Photo: Stephen Cullen, K9 Studio

 

Catherine Grennell-Whyte, IJA Chairperson, expressed her gratitude to the IJA corporate and individual members present at the event, inviting everyone to enjoy ‘the celebration of cultures and our successes, a celebration of friendships forged through the Ireland Japan Association and of our achievements together’.

 

No association can function effectively without a strong membership who are committed to the ongoing activities, and we believe the members of this association are one of the main reasons we are so successful.  We can see the evidence of this here this evening with such a large attendance.  I would like to reiterate how much we value your individual, family, student and corporate membership participation in the many events we host and support throughout the year. – Catherine Grennell-Whyte, IJA Chairperson.

 

Catherine Grennell-Whyte, IJA Chairperson. Photo: Stephen Cullen, K9 Studio

 

Catherine Grennell-Whyte thanked the IJA Patron member – ElectroRoute – for their support to the association and a very successful cooperation. Special gratitude was expressed to the IJA Patron H.E. Mr. Norio Maruyama, Ambassador of Japan in Ireland. ‘Your patronage of the association is most gratefully appreciated and so is the support of the entire team at the Embassy,’ said Catherine Grennell-Whyte.

 

Ms. Catherine Grennell-Whyte, IJA Chairperson and H.E. Mr. Norio Maruyama, Ambassador of Japan in Ireland and the IJA Patron. Photo: Stephen Cullen, K9 Studio

 

Prize Giving this year was sponsored by the IJA Corporate members – ElectroRoute, Dillon Eustace, Oomi Travel (former Unique Japan Tours), PwC Ireland, SuMi TRUST and Yamamori,  and we would like to thank everyone for their continued support and very generous prizes. The Grand Prize this year was sponsored by our Corporate member Finnair, and we would like to congratulate the lucky winner who received a return flight to Japan – Mr. Yiannis Gkoufas.

We would also like to thank everyone at the Dublin School for Japanese Children who created and gifted beautiful Japanese origami decorations to our dinner guests, and to Mrs. Tomoko Ozaki who created stunning Ikebana flower arrangements for the event. Huge thanks to the event team at Conrad Dublin for being great hosts and providing excellent service during our event.

We would like to thank Raymond Hegarty, Master of Ceremonies, and our event team and volunteers from the IJA Council – Catherine Grennell-Whyte, Tsugumi Yamamoto, Darina Slattery, Laura Goonan, Azumi Uchitani, Eva Reavley and Verity Swan – for their time, support and help to make this year’s event such a great success. Special thanks to Eddie Hughes, former IJA Council member, for his dedication and help with the event arrangements.

 

Photo Gallery | IJA Annual Dinner 2023

Photos: Stephen Cullen, K9 Studio

(If you were a guest at the IJA Annual Dinner 2023 and would like to receive an access to full photo gallery from the night, please email your request to: info@ija.ie)

 

 

IJA Annual Dinner 2022 | Photo Gallery

/in /by

On 17th June the IJA members, friends, and supporters came together to celebrate and enjoy one of our biggest events of the year – the IJA Annual Dinner 2022. This year it took place at one of the most beautiful Dublin venues – Radisson Blu St. Helen’s Hotel.

 

The evening began with Sake reception, kindly supported by our corporate member – Retro Vino Wine & Sake. Reception was followed by welcome words from Catherine Grennell-Whyte, Master of Ceremonies, and after that guests enjoyed a delicious 3-course meal in the beautiful Le Panto Suite.

 

Catherine Grennell-Whyte, Finnair/ATTS, Master of Ceremonies

 

Speeches were given by Raymond Hegarty, IJA Chairperson and Mr. Makoto Honda, Counsellor, DHM, Embassy of Japan.

 

 

Prize Giving this year was sponsored by the IJA Corporate members – Bank of Ireland, Cpl Resources, Dillon Eustace, KWE Ireland, Retro Vino, Unique Japan Tours and Yamamori. The Grand Prize this year was sponsored by Finnair, IJA 2022 Travel Partner, and we would like to congratulate the lucky winner who received 2 return flights to Japan.

 

Grand prize winner received 2 tickets to Japan from Finnair/ATTS.

 

It was great to see everyone back together after so long. We are happy for you attending the event and look forward to seeing you again in coming events. – Tsugumi Yamamoto, IJA Vice Chairperson

 

We would like to thank all our members and friends who attended the IJA Annual Dinner this year, and special thanks go to our 2022 Travel Partner – Finnair, and all our Corporate members for their continued support and very generous prizes.

We would also like to thank Dublin School for Japanese Children who made beautiful origami decorations for our dinner guests, and to Mrs. Tomoko Ozaki who created Ikebana flower arrangements for the event. Huge thanks to the event team at the Radisson Blu St. Helen’s Hotel for being great hosts and providing excellent service during our event.

We would like to thank Catherine Grennell- Whyte, Master of Ceremonies, and our event team and volunteers from the IJA Council – Raymond Hegarty, Tsugumi Yamamoto, Darina Slattery, Laura Goonan, Jonathan Kelly, Hiro Ino and Eddie Hughes – for their time, support and help to make this year’s event such a great success.

More photos from the IJA Annual Dinner 2022 are in the photo gallery below. Please click on the image to enlarge it.

 

Photos: Kevin O’Neill, Laura Goonan, Darina Slattery, Eddie Hughes, Raymond Hegarty and Jonathan Kelly 

IJA Annual Dinner 2020

30th IJA Annual Dinner | Photo Gallery

/in /by

On 14th February the IJA members, friends, and supporters came together to celebrate and enjoy one of our biggest events of the year – 30th IJA Annual Dinner 2020. This year it took place at one of the most beautiful and iconic Dublin venues – The Shelbourne Hotel.

The evening began with Sake reception, kindly supported by Embassy of Japan in Ireland and our corporate member – Retro Sake. Reception was followed by speeches from Ms Darina Slattery, IJA Chairperson, Mr Peter Sherrard, CEO of Olympic Federation of Ireland and H.E. Mr Mitsuru Kitano, Ambassador of Japan in Ireland.

Darina Slattery, IJA Chairperson

Peter Sherrard, CEO of Olympic Federation of Ireland

H.E. Mr Mitsuru Kitano, Ambassador of Japan in Ireland

IJA Annual Dinner 2020

Read here: Ambassador Kitano’s full speech at the IJA Annual Dinner 2020.

The guests enjoyed a delicious 3-course dinner in the beautiful Great Room followed by Prize Giving sponsored by the IJA Corporate members – AIB, ANA, Bank of Ireland, Dillon Eustace, KWE Ireland, Mitsubishi Electric, Retro Sake, SuMi TRUST, Unique Japan Tours and Yamamori. The Grand Prize this year was 2 return flights to Japan sponsored by Finnair, IJA 2020 Travel Partner.

 

(Please click on the images to enlarge)

Photo gallery in video format can be viewed here!

 

 

We would like to thank everyone who attended the IJA Annual Dinner this year. Special thanks go to our Patron member – AIB, our Travel Partner – Finnair, and all our Corporate members for their continued support and very generous prizes.

Our thanks go to the Dublin School for Japanese Children who made all the beautiful origami decorations for the dinner tables and to Mrs Tomoko Ozaki who created a wonderful Ikebana flower arrangement for the event. We would also like to thank The Shelbourne Hotel for hosting our event and providing excellent service before and during the dinner.

We would like to thank our Master of Ceremonies – Mr Raymond Hegarty, and our event team and volunteers – Mr Donagh Morris, Mr Graham Ryan, Ms Paula Kelly, Ms Tsugumi Yamamoto and Mr Yasuyuki Ozeki  – for their time, support and help to make this year’s event such a great success.

Photos/Video: Donagh Morris

Merry Christmas from all of us at the IJA!

/in /by

Dear IJA Members and Friends,

Another amazing and busy year has come to an end. Christmas has come, and the year of the mouse in 2020 is soon approaching.

The IJA Council would like to thank you all for joining our events and outings this year and for your continued support to the Ireland Japan Association. We would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a healthy start of the New Year!

A special welcome to H.E. Mr. Mitsuru Kitano, who arrived recently as Ambassador of Japan in Ireland. We wish him every success in this new position. Ambassador Kitano will continue on as the IJA’s Patron Member. We very much look forward to working together in 2020 and beyond.

We are delighted that Dr. and Mrs. Ushioda scholarship was established this year in honour of Dr. and Mrs. Ushioda’s major contribution to the development of the IJA and Ireland-Japan relations, and to underpin the association’s strong commitment to supporting Japanese studies in Ireland. It was our pleasure to award it to Sophia Herar who is our first scholarship recipient.

Rugby took over the nation here in Ireland and definitely in Japan – the host of this year’s Rugby World Cup. Many of us were a part of this amazing event, experienced Japanese hospitality and discovered this beautiful country and culture in person. For many this was the first time visiting Japan. We are sure that this experience will encourage people to return and explore the Land of the Rising Sun even more, especially with such a huge and exciting event as Tokyo 2020 Olympic & Paralympic Games due to start in July 2020.

Finally, we are also delighted to announce that our biggest event of the year – The IJA Annual Dinner 2020 will be taking place on February 14th at The Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin. We hope you will join us for an evening of celebrations and fine dining at one of the most beautiful and iconic Dublin venues.

Wishing you a wonderful Christmas and happy holidays!

Warm wishes,

On the behalf of the IJA Council,

Darina Slattery

IJA Chairperson

IJA Annual Dinner 2019 brings together IJA members, friends and supporters

/in /by

Each year, IJA Annual Dinner brings together our members, friends, and supporters to celebrate and enjoy one of the biggest and most enjoyable events of the year.

The evening began with a reception at The Westbury Hotel, Dublin, followed by speeches by Ms Darina Slattery, IJA Chairperson, H.E. Mrs Mari Miyoshi, Ambassador of Japan in Ireland, Mr Mark Egan, Head of Competitions and Performance, and Ms Catherine Grennell-Whyte, Finnair.

The guests enjoyed a delicious 3-course dinner in the beautiful Grafton Suite which was followed by Prize Giving sponsored by IJA Corporate members – AIB, A&L Goodbody, ANA, Bank of Ireland, Dillon Eustace, KWE Ireland, PM Group, SuMi TRUST, Unique Japan Tours and Yamamori. The Grand Prize this year was 2 return flights to Japan sponsored by Finnair, IJA 2019 Travel Partner.

(Please click on the images to enlarge)

We would like to thank everyone who attended the Annual Dinner, our Corporate members for supporting this event and sponsoring amazing prizes. Big thanks to our Patron member – AIB – for continuous support and our Travel Partner – Finnair – for sponsoring the Grand Prize.

Our thanks go to the Dublin School for Japanese Children who made all the beautiful origami decorations for the dinner tables and to Mrs Tomoko Ozaki who created wonderful Ikebana flower arrangements for the event. We are thanking the Embassy of Japan who provided Japanese sake for the event reception, and The Westbury Hotel for hosting our event and providing excellent service before and during the event.

We would like to thank Mr Raymond Hegarty who agreed to undertake MC duties at the event, and our event team – Ms Paula Kelly, Mr Hiro Ino, Mr Donagh Morris and Mr Karl O’Reilly who helped before and after the event, and made sure that everybody can enjoy a wonderful relaxing evening.

Photos: Donagh Morris

 

IJA supports Pieta House and its work

/in /by

Ireland Japan Association is delighted to announce that this year, after a very successful Annual Dinner event, the IJA Council made a decision to donate all the surplus money – 2,000 euros – that were made from the event tickets, to a selected charity – Pieta House.

Marie Peelo, Pieta House Deputy Director of Fundraising and Advocacy, expressed her gratitude to the IJA for the generous donation: ‘Many thanks for your very generous donation to Pieta House.  We are very grateful for this donation which will save lives.’

Pieta House is a non-profit organisation providing a specialised treatment programme for people who are in suicidal distress or engaging in self-harm. In 2006, Pieta House opened its doors in Lucan, County Dublin and has grown to almost 270 therapists and administration staff with almost 6,000 people availing of organization’s services on 2016. Pieta House also operates the Suicide Bereavement Counselling centres providing free counselling, therapy and support to individuals, couples, families and children who have been bereaved by suicide. Pieta House also offers a Suicide Bereavement Liaison Service and the Freecall 24/7 suicide helpline.

IJA Annual Dinner 2018 took place on Friday, 16th February at the Westbury Hotel, Dublin and was attended by more than 110 guests – IJA Corporate and Individual members, honorary guests and friends.

IJA celebrates its biggest event of the year – Annual Dinner 2018

/in /by

16th February 2018 was a special day in the calendar of events for Ireland Japan Association as its members and friends came together to celebrate one of the biggest and most anticipated events of the year – IJA Annual Dinner.

Photo: Doylecollection.com

This year the Annual Dinner took place at The Westbury Hotel, one of the most iconic and beautiful locations in Dublin. IJA was delighted to welcome H.E. Mrs. Mari Miyoshi, Ambassador of Japan in  Ireland, and Mr. Nicky Comyn, IRFU Junior Vice President as honorary guests at the event.

On arrival, all dinner guests were treated to a sake reception with compliments from the Embassy of Japan in Ireland.

Event continued with speeches given by Ms. Darina Slattery, IJA Chairperson, H.E. Mrs. Mari Miyoshi, Ambassador of Japan in Ireland, and Mr. Nicky Comyn, IRFU Junior Vice President.

Dinner guests enjoyed a 3 course menu followed by prize giving raffle which was generously sponsored by IJA members. The grand prize this year was 2 return flights to Japan sponsored by Finnair.

IJA would like to thank Council members for their time and hard work helping to make this event such a successful celebration for everybody.

IJA would like to thank Corporate members who supported this event: Finnair, Allied Irish Banks, Bank of Ireland, KWE Ireland, PM Group, Matheson, SuMi Trust, Unique Japan Tours and Yamamori Restaurants.

Big thank you goes also to our friends from Japanese Saturday School in Dublin who made the beautiful origami decorations for the dinner tables and Miss Laura Hegarty for the wonderful ‘Koto’ performance.

IJA Annual Dinner 2018 was one of the 60th Anniversary events commemorating diplomatic relationship between Ireland and Japan.

 

Tag Archive for: IJA Annual Dinner

Nothing Found

Sorry, no posts matched your criteria