Irish and Northern Irish Society: President

Hi, I'm Matthew, a second-year History student. I am standing for President of the UCL Irish & Northern Irish Society because of my strong love of home, having lived just outside of Belfast for all my life. I believe that the island of Ireland has so much to offer in terms of culture, history, and its world famous craic, so to be a part of promoting this at UCL would be a fantastic opportunity. Having experienced being a part of this society, I would love to play a greater role in the running of the group and ensure that it maximizes its potential. I want to challenge myself further in my final year, and I feel that this would be a brilliant chance for me to do so. I believe that I can encourage more regular attendance to our socials and improve the variety of our events, such as introducing intercollegiate socials via existing contacts, in order to build upon the sense of community within the society. I hope to be elected into this role, and to see you all in 2023/24 as your new President!

In my three years as an active member, I have watched the society flourish and wish to continue contributing to Irish society’s development. Through my previous committee position, I have been able to understand how the society works alongside the types of activities that members desire and so I therefore I believe that I'm the perfect candidate to be your representative for UCL’s Irish community. As President, I will seek to cultivate the collective cultural knowledge of members by continuing the weekly Irish dance classes I founded this year, as Education Officer. This social activity, practicing the most traditional form of Irish dance (ceiling), has helped make the society more inclusive whilst celebrating a unique aspect of our culture. Recently gaining my Grade 10 qualification in Irish dance not only shows my passion and ability in our cultural art form, but also my time management and organisation skills, both essential to being a successful president. 

Furthermore, I have developed friendships with other members running for committee positions this year, meaning our committee will be a collaborative space, enabling us to provide the best possible events for you. As a lover of traditional Irish music, I will endeavour to make our attendance of traditional music sessions more frequent, during my Presidency. 

Ultimately, I look forward to leading UCL Irish society and helping us all celebrate our fantastic culture, with everyone enjoying plenty of ceol agus craic!☘️