OUR CREDIT UNION STORY

The Credit Union Story

 

The modern Credit Union movement traces its origins to Germany and to Friedrich Willhelm Raiffeisen, the mayor of a small town in southern Germany.  In 1849 he formed savings societies, which later evolved into credit unions.

 

The Credit Union movement was introduced into Ireland in 1958 by Nora Herilhy with the support of a number of other dedicated pioneers.

 

Blanchardstown & District Credit Union Story

 

Our local story began back in the late sixties when Blanchardstown began to develop as a new suburb of Dublin. Some of the new and older residents sought to become members of the Premier Navan Road & District Credit Union but were unable to do so because Blanchardstown was not within the common bond of Premier Navan Road & District Credit Union Ltd.

 

In the early seventies, prompted by two directors from Premier Navan Road & District Credit Union, namely Kathleen Mathews & Michael McGuinness, a group of residents of Blanchardstown formed a study group with a view to setting up a Credit Union to include Blanchardstown and its surrounding districts.

 

This group met weekly in the Parochial House under the guidance of the Directors from Premier Navan Road Credit Union. After about five months, they decided to go ahead and set up Blanchardstown & District Credit Union Ltd.

 

On the 9th of July 1970 an organisation meeting was held in the Old School Hall (now the Community Centre) which was attended by Rev. Canon Crowe PP and Mr. Michael O’Doherty from the Credit Union League of Ireland (Now known as The Irish League of Credit Unions), Mr. Michael McGuinness, Miss Kathleen Mathews, Mr. Pat Fay (CULI), all members of the study group and about sixty residents.

 

The purpose of the meetings was to register the Credit Union with the Registrar of Friendly Societies and to elect a board of directors, a supervisory committee and a public auditor.

 

Rev. Canon Crowe PP, a strong supporter of the Credit Union, generously made the Parochial House available to carry on the business of the Credit Union for a number of years.

 

At a Special Board Meeting on the 25th February 1977 it was decided to purchase a cottage on the Clonsilla Road for the sum of £10,000 for use as our new premises.

 

By 1993 we had outgrown the cottage and moved to our current premises at 9 Blanchardstown Business Centre opening on the 4th October 1993.

 

In 2016 it become necessary to extend these premises to accommodate the needs of our now 17,500 members.

In 2017 we had a membership base of 20,000, net assets under management in excess of €80 million, €64 million in shares and €24 million in loans.

 

Currently Blanchardstown & District CU is one of two credit unions that serves citizens of Blanchardstown.