We’re lucky in Abu Dhabi that two nations renowned for their hospitality, generosity and infectious joie de vivre, not only have long-established societies here, but also some big plans for the year ahead. We caught up with the Caledonian Society’s head honcho and ‘Chieftain’ Colin McKinlay and Irish Society committee member Andrew McCarthy to see how anyone can get involved in their charity balls, quiz nights and fundraising events – you just have to be up for the ‘craic’!
Tell us a little about the history of each society?
Colin: The Scottish St Andrews Society of Abu Dhabi was formed in 1969 and has been going strong now for 43 years.
Andrew: The Irish Society began a little differently, evolving from the Gaelic Athletics Association (GAA) sports club and the social side of the games. Today, the GAA club is still going strong and boasts three ladies’ teams and two men’s.
What about your societies’ philanthropic activities?
Colin: Every year we choose two charities to raise money for: one based in Abu Dhabi and the other in Scotland. This year we’re supporting The Special Care Centre in Abu Dhabi and The Archie Foundation in Aberdeen. We raise money through events, raffles and sponsorship. We’re hoping for some new sponsors this year and it’s an amazing opportunity for companies to increase their profile through various expat events and via local media, like Time Out!
Andrew: Each year the society donates money to various charities; in the past we’ve worked a lot with Goal, an Irish non-governmental organisation which does great stuff in Africa. Recently we worked together with a Sri Lankan charity and a very generous society member raised enough money to build a new house there, in the process changing a family’s life and future.
Both nations are known to enjoy a good party, tell us about your social highlights
Colin: We host three main balls per year: Burns Night (around January 25) to celebrate Robert Burns, our most famous poet. Then we have the Chieftains Ball in May/June, and the Andrews Ball, which this year will be in the new Westin Hotel on Friday November 30. There will be a five-course Scottish themed dinner, a live Ceilidh Band flown in from Scotland, traditional Ceilidh dancing and, of course, the tasting of Scotland’s most famous export: our ‘water of life’. We also have weekly Scottish Ceilidh dancing, monthly sundowners for members to meet, monthly golf events, Christmas carol singing, dhow trips and quiz nights, so come along and join us!
Andrew: Traditionally the St. Patrick’s Day Ball is the highlight of the Society’s year. It’s a guaranteed night of fun and glamour. We fly over a band from Ireland, have Irish dancing, raise money for charity, hold auctions, raffles and a whole lot more. This year we held the Abu Dhabi Irish Festival for the first time. We had sportsmen from Ireland, various Gaelic games and finished with an outdoor concert. The rest of the year is packed with events too. Our welcome back party in September, a Santa Christmas party for the kids, Christmas caroling for the adults, a Halloween party for both kids and adults, a Rose of Tralee Ball, GAA Ball and loads of other fundraisers and sports events.
Tell us a bit about your members?
Colin: We have over 250 members from 17 countries.
Andrew: We have a very large member base, the majority of which are Irish but we also have a lot of British people, Australians and other nationalities too.
Why do you think people identify with your nations?
Colin: We are sociable and enjoy getting together and having the ‘craic’. Despite what some say about us being tight, we are actually known for our generosity! We have a good sense of humour, proud heritage and tradition and we’re known for being straight talkers and caring. Who wouldn’t want to join?
Andrew: The Irish are a lively bunch who like to have fun and enjoy the ‘craic’. They’re mostly very open and chatty and so tend to make a lot of friends. That and the fact that most Irish are a bit mad in general (that’s in a good way)!
Want to find out more about societies in Abu Dhabi?
Caledonian Society of Abu Dhabi (Scotland): www.adscots.com
The Irish Society of Abu Dhabi (Ireland): www.irishsocietyabudhabi.com
The Royal Society of St George (England): www.rssgauh.com
St David’s Society (Wales): www.stdavidssocietyabudhabi.blogspot.com
