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At Hillhall WI's
60th Anniversary Dinner in Malone Golf Club is
President Sandra Dorman, Executive member Ann
McCready, Federation Chairman Betty Birney, Maureen
Reid, Mary Hamilton, and Betty Milford US2007-402PM
Pic by Paul Murphy |
President Sandra
Dorman cuts the cake with founder member Betty
Cowan. US2007-404PM |
THE ladies of Hillhall Women's Institute have
been celebrating their 60th anniversary this month with a series
of commemorative events.
The Hillhall branch of the WI began in May
1947, when a group of local women first met in a room at
Gracey's factory and decided to form a branch of the Institute.
Today, a remarkable 60 years later, the
Hillhall WI is still going strong and the ladies decided to mark
the special occasion with a dinner in Malone Golf Club on May
15.
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Laying the foundation stone for the
Braniel Hall 1950
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At the 60th Anniversary Dinner are
President Sandra Dorman, Mayoress Laureen Lunn,
Mayor Trevor Lunn, Federation Chairman Betty Birney,
and executive member Ann McCurdy US2007-403PM
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Guests at the event included Lisburn Mayor,
Councillor Trevor Lunn, the Rev. Dr. Jack Richardson and
representatives from the Federation Executive.
Back in 1947 the group met each month in
Gracey's until the opening of the Braniel Hall in 1950, where
they still meet today.
The ladies were instrumental in the building
of Braniel Hall as they worked in conjunction with the
Drumbeg/Hillhall branch of the Ulster Farmers Union. Over 300
members of both committees attended the official opening
ceremony for the Hall in 1950, after it had been mainly
constructed by volunteers at a cost of �1,600, toward which the
Hillhall ladies had gathered �581 in just two years.
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Members of Hillhall WI cut the cake
to celebrate their 50th anniversary at a special
dinner held in Forte Posthouse Hotel in Dunmurry
back in 1997
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Braniel Hall in 1954
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At the official opening Mrs Howard Walker,
President of the Hillhall Branch of the Women's Institute, paid
tribute to the ladies for their whole-hearted efforts and said
that in spite of the fact the branch was only three years old
they had made remarkable progress.
It seems that the same spirit remains with
the Hillhall ladies today as they celebrate their 60th
Anniversary.
