Seen and heard
ACCOR
The ACCOR Group is the AEHT’s long-standing partner in the organisation of teacher placements, and the Group is represented by Frédérique Poggi who was introduced to us in Copenhagen by Gilles Honegger, from whom she took over this role. But this did not prevent Gilles from coming to Killarney, though this time we were no longer treated to his party piece in which, with his booming voice he urged the teachers to avail themselves of the opportunities offered by the ACCOR Group. Frédérique Poggi’s tone is more gentle, but her manner just as direct!
On the excursions into the National Park and especially in Muckross Gardens or on the ‘mining trail’ the participants could admire really magnificent trees, some of them several hundred years old. An Austrian was prompted to say, without the flicker of a smile, ‘They can’t have many forest fires here.’ Very true, given the guaranteed rainfall …
Ambulance Crews
Nothing had been left to chance. Throughout the competitions a ‘Knights of Malta’ ambulance crew was always on stand-by, though fortunately their services were never needed.
Bravo
Yes. Well Done. Bravo to all those teams wearing the light-green T-shirts who spared no effort throughout the Conference to ensure that everyone was well looked after. These were students – and it’s a shame that they were not given a round of applause at the gala evening, though they certainly deserved it.
Shops
In such a large gathering of professionals it is only right to give them all the chance to see the best offers in terms of work uniforms and equipment. So there were two stands – those of the Italian Marco Esposto (Casa della Divisa) and the Irishman Colm Cross (Diamond Edge) each occupying its allocated space, as well as a stand selling merchandise bearing the AEHT logo.
Mushrooms
On their return from the various excursions on Saturday November 11th those who went past the reception desk of the Gleneagle hotel could admire a small exhibition of mushrooms, no doubt brought back from one of the rambles which took place that day. What a good idea!
Cigarettes
You can’t smoke in public places in Ireland. It is strictly prohibited and there are notices everywhere reminding you of the law. But this doesn’t stop the Irish from smoking – they merely go out in to the fresh air to light up.
Waterproof
We’ve all seen that Ireland uses its rainy weather in its tourist brochures, and Fįilte Ireland didn’t miss the opportunity either: in the document case (full of useful brochures) given to each participant there was a waterproof cape, in yellow or blue. Some people were very glad to make use of them during the excursions!
Kitchens
The large INEC hall had to be converted for the purposes of the culinary arts competitions, and no fewer than twelve kitchen compartments had been created from scratch. No mean task. And to make way for the gala evening these same kitchens were dismantled in just one day. Bravo!
Irish Dancing
Irish dancing is world famous, so the conference organisers had arranged dancing classes for the participants. These workshops were never overcrowded but the teachers were not short of work. Among the pupils was Klaus Enengl, director of the Bad Ischl hotel school and AEHT vice-president who gave a demonstration of his new skills during the cocktail party just before the gala evening. And who should be his partner – why Nadine Schintgen, AEHT General Secretary!
Evaluation
Those who took part in various excursions guided by students from Killarney or Tralee were asked to fill out a short questionnaire as a means of evaluating both the quality of the excursion in question and the competence of the guides. Of course the questionnaires were anonymous and the content would have no consequences for the trainee guides!
Panic
The organisers had planned to give each participant a badge, but unfortunately the printer in Dublin had made a mistake and had produced badges which were difficult to read. The entire batch had to be returned, and that is why the first participants to arrive could not be issued with badges.
Front-desk
The teams of teachers and students given the task of greeting the conference participants certainly had their work cut out over these few days, especially on the first day when they had to deal with very large numbers of enquiries. But they always had a broad smile, and sometimes there was Irish background music provided by a real live band.
Happy birthday Romana
At breakfast on November 11th the Austrian table was especially lively. The Austrians had helped themselves to the roses from the other tables and at the given signal they struck up the traditional ‘happy birthday to you’ for Romana Bauer from the Bad Leonfelden school. Courtesy prevents us from revealing the year of her birth, but let us say that she looks much younger than her age! And to crown it all, her birthday was toasted in champagne. At eight o’clock in the morning. They don’t do things by halves do they, these Austrians!
Irish coffee
We all know that making Irish coffee is a basic skill for all Irishmen. Michael Griffith gave an amazing demonstration of this art: in batches of five at a time he prepared this unique brew strictly according to the rules, thus delighting his audience.
Magnetic
In the conference bag given out on arrival, and filled with useful documentation on Ireland, there was a magnetic object consisting of the two items used in the national sport, hurley: a small ball and a stick. The ancestor of hockey in a way. An excellent idea for a souvenir, coming as it did with a stylised map of Ireland. Really great!
Sweet
At the prize-giving ceremony four little girls from the Irish dancing troupe, dressed in traditional costumes, were given the task of bringing the certificates and medals to be presented by the VIPs. President Louis Robert couldn’t resist posing for a photograph with them at the end of the ceremony. It will make a pretty souvenir for all concerned!
Breakfast
Usually buffet breakfasts are an excellent idea, but on the first day there was quite a queue at rush hour, around eight o’clock. You had to prove your identity by showing your badge before you could get into the restaurant. But once you were seated, no problem, and on the following days things ran smoothly.
Meals
Congratulations are also in order to the Gleneagle kitchens for the buffets they produced for our midday and evening meals. These buffets offered a wide variety of appetising and plentiful food and the participants found them … irresistible!
Meetings
As you might expect, the delegates and Presidium members were by no means idle since the Annual Conference is a busy time in the AEHT calendar. Thus the Presidium held two meetings in the Leinster suite at the Brehon hotel and the Executive Board made up of the national representatives met in the Brehon’s Park suite.
Soft day!
This is a fine euphemism used to describe a rainy day – as Kevin Moriarty explained with a smile as he introduced his great friend Dame Geraldine Keagan before she delivered her lecture. And it’s true that for someone from continental Europe this counted as real ‘rainy weather’.
Piggy banks
At the bar of the Gleneagle there was a row of little piggy bank collection boxes for a variety of good causes. It was up to whiskey and Guinness drinkers to give a little something while standing at the bar. What a nice idea.
Video
Teams with video cameras worked hard to produce live transmissions of the competitions. But his wasn’t their only use. Kevin Moriarty also used them to explain the ins and outs of the Conference to journalist colleagues.
Highly instructive excursions
For the tourism part of the conference on Saturday November 11th several substantial excursions had been arranged: a coach trip to explore the Dingle Peninsula, and two other excursions on foot – one a ramble in the National Park taking in Muckross Lake and Torc Waterfall, and the other a walk on Rossbeigh Beach.
Most of the participants had chosen the Dingle Peninsula, so several coaches were needed for the superb 160 km trip which took the visitors, cheerful despite the cold and the intermittent rain, to various beauty spots in this magnificent region. From the heights above Killarney there was a good view over the lakes and the splendid cemetery, then a stop at Inch Beach with Atlantic breakers and a nearby shop which the souvenir-hungry visitors invaded.
A little later on we stopped in the town of Dingle for a longer visit and for lunch in the John Benny Moriarty pub in two sittings.
People were curious about the posters urging the locals to vote – but what about? 90% of the local population voted to keep the name ‘Dingle’ together with the Gaelic version, rather than using the Gaelic name alone, which would be incomprehensible to tourists. After lunch there were several photo stops where we could feast our eyes on cliffs and little beaches reached along winding narrow roads
Then came the visit to the Blasket Centre built right on the ocean’s edge in a modern style which nevertheless blended perfectly with the landscape.
People were curious about the posters urging the locals to vote – but what about? 90% of the local population voted to keep the name ‘Dingle’ together with the Gaelic version, rather than using the Gaelic name alone, which would be incomprehensible to tourists. After lunch there were several photo stops where we could feast our eyes on cliffs and little beaches reached along winding narrow roads
Then came the visit to the Blasket Centre built right on the ocean’s edge in a modern style which nevertheless blended perfectly with the landscape.
The Blasket Centre is a modern building which chronicles the hard and austere lives of the inhabitants of Blasket Island; the population of the island reached its peak before the first world war, and the island was finally abandoned in 1953. It is the most westerly island of continental Europe, and many of its inhabitants, like many hundreds of thousands of other Irishmen, emigrated to the United States in search of a better life. There is a splendid view from the Blasket Centre over this ‘end of the earth’
In the coach on the way back one could see the effects of the fresh air and the sea breezes – there is nothing quite like it for sending you off to sleep. Especially since everyone needed a rest ready for the gala evening due to begin shortly.
In the coach on the way back one could see the effects of the fresh air and the sea breezes – there is nothing quite like it for sending you off to sleep. Especially since everyone needed a rest ready for the gala evening due to begin shortly.
Evening entertainment
VERY IRISH EVENING ENTERTAINMENT IN KILLARNEY
It would have been a serious omission not to give the Killarney Conference participants the chance to enjoy an evening of Irish entertainment in a pub, and sure enough the organisers even devoted two evenings to such pleasures, despite the logistical problems of finding room for more than 600 people in the pubs up and down the town.
And so with obvious delight the guests took in and savoured the famous Irish atmosphere, relishing this opportunity to strike up friendships in the pubs, where the local regulars were somewhat surprised by this large-scale invasion of Europeans!
VIP EVENING
Fįilte Ireland had wanted to invite the Conference VIPs to a dinner at the Aghadoe Heights hotel to the north of Killarney perched on a promontory overlooking the beautiful lakes. This was a superb venue for a very pleasant evening, where we were formally welcomed by Kevin Moriarty, head of professional development as well as one of the main organisers of the Conference. He said how pleased he was to welcome the AEHT representatives as well as those who had played an important role in organising the event. He applauded the spirit and philosophy of the AEHT, then introduced Dame Geraldine Keagan, one of the following day’s speakers. Needless to say, the dishes served that night did justice to the hotel’s reputation!
OFFICIAL RECEPTION
The City of Killarney and its Mayor Sheila Casey also wished to entertain the national representatives of all the countries sending delegations to the Conference. The reception took place in one of the private rooms at the International Hotel in the town centre.
Wine was served, and the Mayor, herself a hotelier, flanked by her deputies and close colleagues, expressed her pleasure at welcoming so many distinguished people. She reminded us of the importance of tourism, not only for the region but also for the whole of Ireland. She wished us all a pleasant stay in Ireland, adding how proud she was to be Irish.
Alfonso Benvenuto, still AEHT president for a few more hours, thanked her for her invitation and said how honoured the great AEHT family was by this civic reception and by Killarney’s hospitality. And following a Killarney tradition the Mayor presented the Presidium members with a gift – ties for the men and scarves for the women, both bearing the town’s crest. Finally the guests signed the visitors’ book to mark the AEHT’s visit to the town.
Gala evening ... see you in Jesolo Lido
On Saturday November 11th, after these few deeply satisfying days, came the musical ‘pause sign’ which in the AEHT Conference is always the gala evening: it marks the end of the Conference, the presentation of prizes to the competition winners, and the starting whistle for the next year’s Conference.
The evening got off to a good start with cocktails and a demonstration of Irish dancing by the ‘pupils’ of the line-dancing workshops; then on to the gala evening compeered, just as the opening ceremony, by Mary Kennedy, the Irish television star.
The dinner tables had been superbly laid in the large INEC hall and Mary Kennedy greeted all the diners including the VIPs and sponsors in the front seats, among them John O’Donoghue, the Irish minister of tourism. Mary praised the professionalism, enthusiasm and passion of the young students; she emphasised the importance of the AEHT’s philosophy; and congratulated Fįilte Ireland, the Institute of Technology Tralee, the volunteers, the chairmen of the judging panels and the sponsor. She concluded her greetings by wishing all those present ‘Cead mile fįilte’ – a hundred thousand welcomes. The evening got off to a good start with cocktails and a demonstration of Irish dancing by the ‘pupils’ of the line-dancing workshops; then on to the gala evening compeered, just as the opening ceremony, by Mary Kennedy, the Irish television star.
Minister John O’Donoghue expressed his obvious pleasure at being in Killarney surrounded by AEHT delegates. The Minister also 
emphasised the importance of tourism for the country, and the need to develop the professional skills of young people in this sector. Aidan Pender, the director of Fįilte Ireland also spoke of the importance of tourism for Ireland. He emphasised the importance of the competitions and of the human capital represented by the conference delegates and these young people, not forgetting the dedication of their teachers and of the trainers.
The gala dinner itself was served to the accompaniment of Irish harp and flute music; and when the meal was over the kitchen and restaurant brigades filed onto the platform, loudly applauded by the diners.
But before the eagerly awaited prise-giving ceremony, Louis Robert, AEHT president, took the opportunity to thank most warmly, on behalf of all the participants, those who had organised the 19th Annual Conference. He expressed his sadness at the news of the death earlier that day of Reinhard Ginsel, a former director of the Bad Ischl school, an AEHT founder member and for several years Austrian national representative who had given unswerving support to Hans Russegger in his task as treasurer.
Then Louis moved into the prize-giving ceremony (see chapter 11 – prize-winners). This is always an eagerly anticipated moment and causes outbursts of joy among the winning teams and their supporters! Louis Robert and John O’ Donoghue presided over this prize-giving, awarding certificates, medals and other trophies; the proceedings were loudly applauded by an audience which was sometimes delighted, sometimes disappointed.
But the AEHT also awarded the honour of honorary vice-president or honorary member to Ottavia Madaro, Adolf Steindl, Michel Gaillot, Willy Creten, Roy van Sassen and Kemal Topaloglu. The AEHT also thanked the outgoing president Alfonso Benvenuto as well as those who had played a key role in organising the Conference: Aidan Pender, Kevin Moriarty, Brian O’Connor, Mary Owens, Anne Dearey, Mary-Rose Stafford, Eckhard Gogsch and Pauline Lyne: each of them received a gift to remind them of this fine achievement.
Then Louis moved into the prize-giving ceremony (see chapter 11 – prize-winners). This is always an eagerly anticipated moment and causes outbursts of joy among the winning teams and their supporters! Louis Robert and John O’ Donoghue presided over this prize-giving, awarding certificates, medals and other trophies; the proceedings were loudly applauded by an audience which was sometimes delighted, sometimes disappointed.
But the AEHT also awarded the honour of honorary vice-president or honorary member to Ottavia Madaro, Adolf Steindl, Michel Gaillot, Willy Creten, Roy van Sassen and Kemal Topaloglu. The AEHT also thanked the outgoing president Alfonso Benvenuto as well as those who had played a key role in organising the Conference: Aidan Pender, Kevin Moriarty, Brian O’Connor, Mary Owens, Anne Dearey, Mary-Rose Stafford, Eckhard Gogsch and Pauline Lyne: each of them received a gift to remind them of this fine achievement.
The last part of the ceremony was the handing over of the flag from Killarney to the Lido di Jesolo IPSSAR – a highly symbolic moment each year. Mary Owens and Louis Robert handed the AEHT flag to the team from the Elena Cornaro school in Lido di Jesolo represented by the director Ilario Ierace, Paola Marin, Denise Pellegrina, Antonio Saccotelli and Laura Troiero, together with Alfonso Benvenuto, vice-president and Italian representative. The ceremony was accompanied by strains of the European anthem.
But all good things must come to an end; so while the world famous Alten group got their show under way, it was time for farewells and goodbyes. Some people had planes to catch early in the morning. But no matter: this 19th Annual Conference in Killarney had come up to everyone’s expectations, and for some people Lido di Jesolo has already been written in their diaries…
Culture, discoveries and lectures
The Fįilte Ireland team had also taken great care over the organisation of the cultural programme, offering a whole array of excursions, walks, workshops and lectures which were arranged throughout our stay.
Let us summarise: a visit to Muckross Gardens with an optional and highly instructive visit to the ruins of the abbey, to the house and its park planted with magnificent trees.
A walk – sometimes in the rain – following the footsteps of the old miners (Old Mining trail walk)
a guided tour of Killarney’s best springs, tasting of traditional Irish produce (wholemeal bread, whiskey and Irish coffee), sports demonstrations, Irish dance workshop
Irish music every night in the Green Room or in O’D’s Chestnut bar, excursion to the Dingle Peninsula or a stroll on Rossbeigh Beach, a treasure hunt in Killarney. It was a real marathon of a programme but it enabled everyone to follow at their own pace.
THE LECTURES
In addition three fascinating lectures enabled an attentive audience to discover interesting aspects of Ireland’s dynamism.
Dame Geraldine Keagan, headmistress of St Mary’s College, a state school in Derry, Northern Ireland, spoke on the subject of ‘A Case Study on Implementing and Sustaining Change Within the Education Sector’
With great humour and deep conviction she narrated the history of this school: 20 years ago it had been one of the ‘failing schools’ but, thanks to a concerted effort by the teachers, the parents and the pupils it became increasingly successful and even won, on two occasions in 2001 and 2006, a European prize for its excellence. What she modestly omitted to say was that the fundamental reason for this change was her resolute and smiling action as head of the school. Another in the series of workshops was that delivered by Ben Tiggelaar on the subject of ‘How to bring about
change in education and industry’. The speaker was delightfully convincing, equally so whether being serious or humorous, and using the techniques of questioning received wisdom and audience participation, this bundle of energy dismantled the mechanisms of man’s dislike of progress. And he showed us how to overcome these blocks by the application of simple procedures. For example, ‘If you want to lead others, you have to lead yourself first.’ Or ‘not knowledge but action’. This is easier said than done, of course, but to judge from people’s smiles as they left the hall, the audience had at least entered into the spirit of the talk.
THE VIRTEX WORKSHOP
Among all this activity was included another vital aspect of the AEHT’s work – its involvement in the teaching of languages; this is an essential component in the European collaboration which is a fundamental aim of the AEHT, and it is no coincidence that many of our active members – including several presidents and vice-presidents – are language teachers.
The AEHT has organised several events for the sharing of resources and know-how for language teachers, and is involved in the Virtex (VIRTual EXperiences) project, coordinated by Horizon College in the Netherlands.
On Friday morning Christiane Puchner and John Rees Smith ran a workshop to present the programme: delegates were shown a series of modules aimed at preparing students for their placements in hotels and restaurants; the materials are suitable either for the classroom or for individual study. Those attending the workshop were able to have hands-on experience of the programme, and took away sample materials on CD-ROM.
Once complete, the entire suite of modules will be available to the AEHT membership. Initially the languages offered are English and German, but in due course a French version may be launched.
Take a look at Virtex at http://www.waicicu.com/virtexsite/
Last in the series was a seminar intended especially for students and given by John Mc Kenna and the NCCRI, on the subject of ‘The challenges of working with a multicultural work-force’. Unfortunately this event did not attract as large an audience as had been hoped, probably because of the timing, at the end of the day when students were finishing their day of competitions or preparing for the next day’s. It was a pity to miss such an enticing subject, and a shame for the speaker. But in spite of the small audience, the event provoked lively discussions!
Last in the series was a seminar intended especially for students and given by John Mc Kenna and the NCCRI, on the subject of ‘The challenges of working with a multicultural work-force’. Unfortunately this event did not attract as large an audience as had been hoped, probably because of the timing, at the end of the day when students were finishing their day of competitions or preparing for the next day’s. It was a pity to miss such an enticing subject, and a shame for the speaker. But in spite of the small audience, the event provoked lively discussions!
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