“It's just a fantastic community” | A Packed House Kicks Off The Fórsa Retired Members Association

Nerney’s Court was heaving last week as retired members, long-time activists, and union stalwarts gathered for the milestone occasion of the first-ever conference of the Retired Members Association (RMA).

From the moment people arrived, the buzz of conversation and shared memories filled the air.
“Just because you’re retiring doesn’t mean your brain is dead! You are used to an active life” was how Catherine Quirke, chair of the Munster SNA Branch bluntly put it. She had come along because so many of her members in what she called “SNA land” were reaching a point in their careers where the big question - “what’s next?” loomed large.

“A lot of members in our branch are inquiring about retirement, so I want to have the right answers for them. The atmosphere here is absolutely fantastic. It's friendly, it's warm, it's open, and it's so informative. It's absolutely a huge success.”

“You've been getting up every morning, going out to work - suddenly for all this to stop is not good for anybody, and a lot of people don't want it. I think there are a lot of valuable members that could go on to be great activists in the retirement group.”

The day-long event marked a widespread recognition in the union that retirement doesn’t mean stepping away from solidarity. Instead, it’s an opportunity to keep contributing to the movement, to stay informed, and to build new connections rooted in decades of shared experience.

“Today is our first Retired Members Association conference and the first of many, we hope,” beamed Claudia Jennings, Fórsa’s retired members officer as she scanned a full room.

“There's a lot of interaction with exhibitors outside and a great response from the audience to the speakers that we had on site today. They've been covering everything from live coaching, talks about pensions, and the implications of the budget on retired members. And we've had people from the union itself speaking about the retired members project and how it has gotten from its inception to where we are today.”

The day reflected that mix of information and inspiration. Between formal sessions and coffee breaks, stories flowed easily among people who had spent years - even decades - in the public service and in their union branches. “We've had members who've been working in the same place for years and years, and they become a type of family and a support to one another,” Claudia continued. “There are financial incentives as well as the social aspect, the networking, and the continued feeling of belonging to an organisation.”

That sense of belonging is at the heart of the new Retired Members Association, which aims not only to offer practical supports - like guidance on pensions, rights, and welfare entitlements - but also to build a thriving, active network of retired Fórsa members across Ireland.

For many, the event was as much about rekindling old friendships as it was about looking to the future. Rosemary Bracken, a former chair of the Dublin North Health & Welfare Branch, was among those delighted to reconnect.

“It's a great networking platform to meet up with people that you worked with through the years. It's always good to be members of organizations when you retire. It keeps your focus, and you're learning all the time - learning about your rights and your benefits. It's just a fantastic community.”

Bracken said she was struck by the depth and breadth of what she learned. “I've learned a humongous amount. And I thought I, knew a lot because I was chair of a branch. I'm still working with a branch, even though I've retired. And I was on the DEC, so I would have a lot of information in my head. But I've learned so much today.”

Sessions ranged from talks on well being to updates on pension reform, and one highlight for many was a presentation from a GP on health in later life. “Having the GP who talked about how we should look after our health, like we talk about health and wellbeing all the time in the HSE and, you know, when you when you leave work and you're not talking about stuff like health.”

Fórsa’s Director of Membership, Seán McElhinney, paid tribute to the growing enthusiasm among retired members and the hard work of the union’s membership team.

“In the last 12 months, we've processed almost 1,000 transitions to retired membership - more than ever retired Fórsa members are opting to remain in membership after retirement. The most important reason to remain in Forsa is because it's the right thing to do. It's a socially just thing to do, and it's an ethical thing to do.”

He urged members to see the union not just a vehicle chasing the bread and butter issues, but as a force for real change in society. “We're having a positive impact on communities across the whole of the state. We want to make Ireland a better place for ourselves, for our families, for our neighbours, and our communities. Fórsa is a vehicle for progressive change in our society.”