The United Kingdom and Ireland TCC Chapter held its autumn meeting in Belfast on the weekend of Oct. 24-26. Many attendees also joined us for pre-meeting drinks and dinner on Thursday evening. Our group included UK- and Ireland-based members as well as members from Canada, Cyprus, Germany, Norway, Poland, St John (U.S. Virgin Islands), and the United States. Michael Sholer, TCC Board Member, Past President and Charter Chapter Coordinator, also joined us, as did Susan Rosenberry, Northeast Florida Chapter Coordinator. This was also the first TCC meeting for some attendees.
Our meeting blended many themes, including presentations from an expert on Northern Irish history from Queens University, as well as presentations from internal and external speakers about the Falkland Islands, Afghanistan, and a tutorial on how to prioritise where and when to travel, especially for those who aim to complete the TCC Countries & Territories list.
From a political focus, we had a private lunch and tour of Stormont, the Northern Ireland Assembly, as well as visits to the Irish Republican Museum and the Loyalist Orange Museum. We were fortunate to be able to have another private tour of Hillsborough Castle, which included visiting state rooms used by the Royal Family and other high level dignitaries. Unfortunately, due to the late October Belfast weather, most of us (sensibly!) chose to skip a walk through the Castle’s lovely gardens. We also visited the only gaol in Northern Ireland that held prisoners from both sides of the divide during The Troubles. This was followed by a well earned visit to the distillery located next door to the gaol.
We had a variety of dinners, taking advantage of Northern Ireland’s modern, diverse food scene, ranging from supporting a local culinary school to a traditional pub to our gala dinner, where various awards were acknowledged.
For our next meeting, we will return to a pub in central London on Sunday, March 29, 2026. Please let us know if you are planning to attend at your earliest convenience. I will send a follow up invitation prior by mid-December.
Best regards,
Donna Marsh
Chapter Coordinator, United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland
