11 May 2014 – Goodbye to Number 4

Fri: thank you to H.E. Ambassador Joe and Mrs Deirdre Hayes for their Farewell Gathering. Appreciations for their time as 4th Irish Ambassador in SIN. Sláinte and Ádh mór ort’ for their next posting. The new location at Peirce Hill is a complete contrast to the previous one.

The 5th Irish Ambassador to SIN will take his posting in Sep.

Above pix (Mick, Brendan Lyons, myself and Ann) from 2004 (before blogging days) at the memorial of Brother Joseph McNally’s (1923-2002) for the Inauguration of Counsellor II in Ireland, CoMayo/Ireland

1. Brendan Lyons 2000-2002, 1st Irish Ambassador to SIN was transferred from KL/Malaysia in 2000 during the days when I just returned to SIN and was the secretariat for IGAS/Irish Graduates of SIN with IGAS logo designed by Bro Joe then. Brendan kindly opened his residence to function many of the IGAS functions. The ambassadorial residence was then a spacious California-style house on Chatsworth Road.

2. Huge Swift 2002-2006, by then the duty of a grandmother was the priority, and was not active with IGAS – thus unable to locate any pix and before blogging days.

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3. Richard 2008-2010 & Bernadette O’Brien, pix from 2008 Paddy’s Day Reception.

4. Joseph Hayes 2010-2014 – searching for pix to sadly discover that folder 2014 is missing. Thank goodness for some of the blog pix, but not all pix are inserted into the blog. Was also confusing here as some pix here were from the previous residence and the farewell gathering was at another. Vaguely remember being informed about the moving of the Ambassador’s residence.

5. Geoffrey Keating 2014-2019, pix from 2017 Paddy’s Day’s Parade&Reception

6. Patrick Bourne 2019-2022, pix from 2019 Irish Film Festival – Fri29Jul2022: Today after 4 years we say farewell to Ambassador Pat Bourne as he departs Singapore for Bangkok to take up his new role as Ireland’s Ambassador-designate to Thailand. During his time as Ambassador to not only Singapore but also Brunei, Timor-Leste, the Philippines, Micronesia, Marshall Islands and Palau he brought incredible energy and enthusiasm to the role. From the entry into force of the EU-Singapore FTA, to the challenges of COVID-19 pandemic and finally a visit from the Taoiseach, it has been a busy and unpredictable 4 years in Singapore. 2pix credits to Carmel O’CallaghanTan

https://www.dfa.ie/irish-embassy/singapore/about-us/the-embassys-history/

Wed31Aug2022: a Historic day yesterday for the Embassy of Ireland, Singapore as our first female and 7th Ambassador to Singapore, Ambassador Sarah McGrath presented her credentials to the first female President of Singapore, President Halimah Yacob – Irish Embassy,SIN.

Thu16Mar2023: nice to meet with the first female and 7th Irish Ambassador to SIN, Sarah McGrath and I have a pix taken with all of them since Brendan Lyons, 1st Irish Ambassador to SIN in 2000.

SatMay2014: thanks to nephew Clem for chicken rice dinner in Sin Swee Kee***

Discovered a new dessert joint Your Very Treatz****with their cakes flown in from Germany. Had the 4 Layer Chocolate Cake and it was heavenly. This location on N Bridge Rd opp the National Library was where the 1st Food for Thought, now at the National Museum, Queen St and SBG.

SunMay2014: Happy Mother’s Day which should be everyday. Those who are mothers will be able to relate to that. To my two wonderful and beautiful daughters, Linn & May, thank you for accepting and respecting me as I am. Blessed to be their mother and now a grandmother too! Happy Mother’s Day to them both.

To my mother, TSANG May Lan (1911-1965), thank you.

Appreciations and dedications with loving memory to my departed parents. LAM TinYue (1911-1996), TSANG MayLan (1911-1965). Thank you. To the Orange Generation these are your grandparents and to the Purple, your great-grandparents. Pix from 1933, 1955 and 1965, the last of them together when mother was fighting a losing painful battle to cancer.

Seems like there will not be much travels ahead 🙁 Have to go into a major overhaul for both dental and health issues. The realities of life when one gets on in age! The next stage of downhill paths should be ‘a piece of cake’ and hopefully will be able to perform it with grace and gratitude… 🙂

Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity – Martin Luther King Jr