Special Ceremony by Waterford City Council to honour Waterford City Ambassadors

On Thursday evening, Waterford City Council hosted a special ceremony to honour Waterford City’s first twelve Ambassadors. The Ambassadors, who were selected by the Mayor Councillor Mary Roche and the Council’s Corporate Policy Group for their contribution to Waterford’s cultural, sporting and economic development, have agreed in their role as Ambassadors to promote Waterford City and to contribute, where possible in their own field of expertise, to the City’s ongoing development.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Mayor noted her appreciation for the civic pride demonstrated by the people of Waterford. In her address, she made particular reference to the primary school children of Waterford who undertook to become ambassadors for the City when she visited each of their schools in October last.

In recent years, Waterford City Council has adopted the attitude of ‘Doing it for Ourselves’ and as part of this initiative the Council is actively encouraging the people of Waterford to be proactive, to adopt a positive attitude and to assist in the delivery of outcomes that will help the City to grow. It is a long held belief that building a strong sense of civic pride is as important a priority for Waterford City Council as, for example, the physical regeneration of the City which is currently taking place in the Viking Triangle.

At this inaugural ceremony twelve individuals have taken on the role of Ambassadors, at the invitation of the Mayor: Frank O’Regan, Louise Grubb, Dominic Carolan, Patsy Carney, Regina Mangan, Keith Barry, Frank Dolphin, Henry De Bromhead, John O’Shea, Agnes Aylward, Ben Barnes and Anne Marie Caulfield. All twelve of the City’s Ambassadors have distinguished themselves in their chosen field.

As Ambassadors of Waterford they have been asked to be proud of Waterford City; to be conscious of our aspirations as a City into the future; to be aware of the City’s history and uniqueness; to promote Waterford City in all their subsequent endeavours and to be available when called upon to further fulfil the role of Ambassador.

The Mayor of Waterford City, Cllr. Mary Roche hopes that this initiative will encourage the people of Waterford and foster a deeper sense of pride in their city. She has asked all citizens to become ambassadors for their City.

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Speech by Cllr. Mary Roche, Mayor of Waterford City at Waterford City Council’s ceremony to honour Ambassadors

Last October, as Mayor of Waterford – and uniquely among Mayors in Ireland – I was to visit every primary school in the city as Mayors have done for many many years and to be honest, I lost sleep over it. I know how sharp kids are and I knew that if I wasn’t sincere and honest with them, they’d suss it out pretty quickly, or worse still, be bored and dismiss the visit of the Mayor as a non-event. I wanted to do something that would be relevant and, yes, different and would mean something to the children.

I had had it in my minds eye to do something to encourage and instil civic pride when I was lucky enough to be elected as Mayor last June and so after tossing and turning for a few nights I hit on the idea of making all the children Waterford City Ambassadors.

I wrote a pledge and in every school the children were asked to stand tall and, with their hands on their hearts, take the pledge to become Ambassadors. I was struck at the time by just how enthusiastically the children welcomed the idea – and not just the children but the teachers present, the Principals and even the parents when they heard about the pledge. Some schools tell me that they have the pledge up in every classroom and that they work on it every week! All the time now when I’m out and about or shopping or through my Facebook page, school children are telling me how they maybe asked someone to stop throwing litter or didn’t throw it themselves or how delighted they are to be an Ambassador!

So well was the idea received that I thought there must be some way to widen out the Ambassador concept and use it in a broader context for the benefit of the city. To make people aware of what we are trying to achieve here in Waterford; to open peoples eyes to just how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful corner of Ireland and crucially, that we all can and do have a part to play in selling our city and indeed our county and thereby helping to make a better future for all of us.

With the assistance and support of the members of Waterford City Council and the City Manager and his staff we have put this new Waterford City Ambassador programme together. I want to thank them all - members and staff – for their support and for agreeing to take on and continue the Ambassador programme into the future.

The fact that we are here as a body robed tonight is a measure of not just of the gravitas with which we view the event but also of the high expectations we have and lets call a spade a spade, the benefits that we hope will accrue to the city through the work of the Ambassadors, not just those first in line here tonight but indeed into the future.

And so here we are this evening. Tonight we are here because 12 people have agreed, formally to take on the role of Waterford City Ambassador. And while the twelve people here this evening are all extremely accomplished in their own right, this is no civic reception or freedom. And much as we might want to, or they might and do deserve it, this evenings event is not about celebrating their achievements.

We have a job of work that these 12 people have been asked to do and they have stepped up to the mark to say, yes: I will consciously work for the benefit of Waterford; I will do my best to promote Waterford in all my dealings and if I encounter opportunities for our city, then I will try to make sure that Waterford benefits from those opportunities. I want to thank all twelve Ambassadors for agreeing to take on that role.

But such is the job of work that needs to be done that 12 people alone cannot do it. We need all of us here this evening; all the citizens of Waterford; all Waterfordians living near and far to become Ambassadors for the city.

Waterford is changing. It started last year with the opening across the Mall of the House of Waterford Crystal. It is continuing with the Bishops Palace and Viking Exhibition at Reginalds Tower which will both open on June 22nd. It will be at its best when half a million people line our Quays for the much anticipated Tall Ships Festival in three weeks time. It will be driven forward with the construction of a brand new medieval museum right behind us here in city hall opening next summer. The delivery of the Viking Triangle, a thousand years in a thousand paces showcasing all of our citys long and proud history as the oldest city in Ireland will take firmer shape over the next few years.

There is a new drive here in Waterford city, a fledgling belief that we simply must nurture and encourage so that everyone will see and understand not just the vision but the reality of what we are trying to create here. That drive will have real and tangible benefits in more jobs and in more hope. Hope that as a result, we will end up with a city that we can all live in prosperously, healthily and happily – a city that we can know and love and be proud of.

Because while we might have a brand new spanking motorway leading all the way from Dublin, the one thing there isn’t on that motorway is anyone on a white horse charging down to save us here in Waterford. The one thing we have to do – and have begun to do – is to save ourselves; is to do it for ourselves; is to get up, roll up our sleeves and see how we can help; what we can do, where the opportunities are that will ensure that Waterford regains its rightful place not just as Irelands oldest city, but as a place we are all proud of. We want Waterford to be a place that people in the rest of Ireland and beyond are aware of and want to come to.

We want to be an innovative, creative city. A positive place where opportunities are created, recognised, and capitalised on.

This evening the Ambassadors will receive a scroll acknowledging them in their role as Waterford City Ambassadors. They will also receive an exclusive gold lapel pin of Reginalds Tower which has been designed and crafted by Kneisel jewellers and of which, as of now, there are in fact, only 12 in existence.

I would ask the Ambassadors to wear them with pride, to help us with what we are trying to achieve here in Waterford and also indeed, to represent the city with as much pride as the five and a half thousand primary school children did when they stood with their hands on their hearts last Autumn and pledged to learn about and be proud of this great and ancient city of ours.

Ladies and gentlemen, I commend to you our new Waterford City Ambassadors.

Ambassador’s Profiles

Frank O’Regan

Frank came to Waterford in 1998 after being headhunted by Bausch & Lomb. His career trajectory soared alongside the growth of the Waterford manufacturing facility and he is now Vice President of Operations of their Global Vision Care. Frank juggles his global job with being Chair of the Board of Directors of Waterford Museum of Treasures, which is currently in the middle of ambitious plans that will see two new exhibitions opening later this month in the Bishop’s Palace and Reginald’s Tower. Work is also well underway for a new Medieval Museum that will open next year here behind us. This new offering by the Museum will showcase the rich heritage of this ancient City. Franks tireless work on behalf of the city and constant promotion of Waterford on the international business stage has meant that Waterford remains high on the Bausch and Lomb agenda and indeed this is demonstrated by the $100m investment announced in April this year for the local plant.

Louise Grubb

Louise grew up surrounded by entrepreneurs with her grandfather and father running their own businesses. Following her graduation Louise worked for a number of companies but when she had the idea to form her own company, she went for it and established Nutri-Science Ltd in 1999. She has grown the company to one which has a reputation for being highly innovative and is recognised as being at the cutting edge of product development. Louise is keen to encourage other men and women to become entrepreneurs and has offered much advice and support to new entrepreneurs in Waterford.

Dominic Carolan

Dominic Carolan has been in the pharmaceutical business for more than thirty years. In 2001, Dominic was invited to head up the new Genzyme Plant in Waterford and was the first employee of the company which a decade later employs more than 500 people in their facility here in the city. Like many Ambassadors here tonight Dominic is not a Waterford native, however, he spends much of his time actively promoting Waterford City as an ideal, business friendly location to establish a business in. Dominic is now Senior Vice President of Manufacturing in Genzyme, commuting between the Waterford plant and Genzyme Head quarters in Cambridge, Massachussets. Note: Unfortunately Dominic was unable to attend due to work commitments abroad.

Patsy Carney

A native of Limerick, Patsy’s career in the pharmaceutical industry started in the UK before he moved to Waterford in 1990 as Production Manager for Waterford Pharmaceuticals, now TEVA. Patsy and his business partner Tom Brennan set up EirGen in 2005. They first conceived the idea of establishing their company when studying for an MBA and they were both determined to set up their company in Waterford. EirGen was one of the first pharmaceutical companies in Europe to obtain regulatory approval to safely develop and manufacture multiple anti cancer products in their purpose built facility here in the city. Patsy regularly welcomes clients from all over the world here to Waterford and says that the city and countryside never fail to impress those who visit.

Regina Mangan

Another native of Limerick, Regina moved to Waterford in 1995 to run Adelphi Wharf Suites and has since, immersed herself in Waterford City life. By 1997 Regina had set up her own company Book-a-Room, Waterford’s first, and still one of the largest companies of its kind in the South East region. Not one to rest on her laurels, just this year, Regina and her business partner Maria Clifford have set up Liberty Blue a sister company to Book-a-Room which specialises in property and facility management. In 2010, Regina was awarded runner up prize for South East Female Entrepreneur of the Year. As well as being an energetic business woman Regina is also involved in many charitable and voluntary activities. She is a pro-active member of the city’s business community and has never yet been known to refuse to lend her considerable skills to anything that will benefit the City.

Keith Barry

Born in Williamstown in Waterford City, Keith grew up wanting to be involved in the magic industry from a very young age. In fact he started developing his skills aged just five when he got a present of a Paul Daniel’s magic kit. He made his more public debut performing in the Wine Vault here in Waterford as a teenager and by 23 he was a full time entertainer. Keith in now an internationally renowned magician and mentalist having appeared on primetime specials on CBS, MTV, ITV and RTE. Keith has just started a new show on the Discovery Channel entitled ‘Deception’. In 2009, Keith won the Merlin Mentalist of the Year. He remains true to his Waterford roots and never fails to visit whenever possible; always includes Waterford while on tour and is involved in major city events whenever possible – as with his participation, in a secret but no doubt spectacular feat of magic at the opening of the Tallships Festival happening here on June 30th. Note: Unfortunately due to Press commitments Keith could not attend. His father-in-law Declan Foley accepted on his behalf.

Dr Frank Dolphin

From Birr, County Offaly, Frank moved to Waterford in 1981 to set up the psychology department of Waterford Institute of Technology before moving in to the world of business. In 1990 Frank with his wife Adrienne founded Rigney Dolphin, whose client list reads like a who’s who of national and international brand names. Rigney Dolphin offers a range of Business Process outsourcing Services for companies in both the public and private sector and today employs some 1,200 people in centres in Derry, Dundalk, Dublin and at their head quarters in Waterford. Like other ambassadors with his contacts reaching across the globe, Frank promotes the ‘can do’ attitude that is strong in Waterford.

Henry de Bromhead

Following in the family business, Henry served his training apprenticeships at some of the world’s best training yards including the Coolmore operation, and the yard of Sir Mark Prescott before returning to Waterford in 1999 to take over from his father, Harry, at the family’s Knockeen stables. His career got off to a good start with his first win in Tramore with Fidalus on the day he received his training licence on January 1st 2000. There have been numerous high points in his career to date, most recently, training Sizing Europe to Win the Queen Mother Champion Chase at this year’s Cheltenham Festival. Henry is soaring high and showcasing Waterford in the sport of kings.

John O’Shea

Our next ambassador is keenly aware of the contribution sport makes to this City and every chance he gets, John encourages the young people of Waterford to get active. John began his underage international soccer career while still a pupil at the De La Salle when he won the U-16 European Champions with Ireland. He stayed on in De La Salle to finish his academic education before signing his first professional football contract in 1998 to train with one of the most globally recognisable soccer clubs, Manchester United. His medal collection is the envy of many and includes 5 premier leagues, an FA Cup, 2 Champions Leagues, a World Club Championship and a UEFA Champions League. John represents Waterford on a global scale when he plays for Manchester United and Ireland. Note: Unfortunately, John could not attend as his wife Yvonne is expecting their first child any day. His father Jim O’Shea accepted on his behalf.

Agnes Aylward

Born and raised near Garrarus Beach in Co. Waterford, Agnes was educated in Tramore. She has had a long and distinguished career in the Irish Civil Service and listening to her speak about her work, it is clear it has been informed by a deep love for and commitment to her country. Now retired from the Civil Service, Agnes notes the importance of being objective in your work but as a passionate Waterford women she has always and continuous to, work quietly behind the scenes to promote Waterford in the many networks she has made over the years. Agnes is always on hand to give advice and support to the many initiatives taking place in the City. Indeed she and her husband Sean have been instrumental in many positive things in Waterford without ever seeking or receiving any public acknowledgement of their role.

Ben Barnes

In 2005, Ben came to Waterford to oversee the renovation of the Theatre Royal, one of Ireland’s most beautiful Victorian theatres. An internationally recognised Theatre Director who has worked with the Abbey and Gaiety Theatres, Ben has also toured with numerous successful productions. However this was not Ben’s first time working in Waterford, having worked with the Red Kettle Theatre Company more than 20 years ago. Ben believes the energy and diversity of the artistic community in Waterford has improved immensely compared to his first visit to Waterford. The Theatre Royal now sits at the heart of the Viking Triangle and will enjoy playing a central and vital role in the artistic renaissance of this proud and ancient city.

Anne Marie Caulfield

A lawyer by profession, Anne Marie practiced in England before returning to work in the family business. Since her return, the Caulfield family have grown Caulfield’s Supervalu to one of Ireland’s leading supermarket chains with 8 stores and a staff of over 1,000. Anne Marie is also involved in various organisations in the City and credits her parents with giving her a keen sense of giving back to the community, whether it’s on a business, cultural or social level. The list of positions she holds is impressive from President of Waterford Chamber to Chairperson of Waterford International Music Festival, she is also a member of St. Vincent de Paul and on the Governing Body of Waterford Institute of Technology to mention but a few. Anne Marie never fails to answer her City’s call.