QIA Update

Dear Former Members and Friends of the Queensland Irish Association,

Further to our update to you on 14 October 2015, we confirm that, as reported in the local newspapers, Tara House has been sold to an investor.

We understand that following settlement there will be a surplus from the sale which will enable the QIA to continue operating and we advise that it is the intention of the Steering Committee to work with the Liquidator to ensure that the QIA can continue.

The Steering Committee has met with the purchasers of Tara House and there have been positive indications that they will be willing to enter into a lease with the QIA to enable it to reopen. It is, however, now clear that the QIA will not be able to continue to occupy the whole of Tara House and the only realistic option is that the operations be limited primarily to the first floor..

We, and the liquidator, will now have some critical decisions to make and as always the input of the QIA’s members would be appreciated. The options open to former members are:

a) To enter into a lease arrangement for part of Tara House so that the Irish Club can continue operating from the Tara Room including the Ballroom, Bar, Shamrock Room, Harp Room, the Directors Rooms etc;

b) To use the funds received from the sale of Tara House to arrange new premises, most likely outside of the Brisbane CBD; or

c) To allow the liquidation to continue and the funds to be allocated to another likeminded organization.

Of course the third option is completely unpalatable to us and we are sure that it will be unpalatable to you as former members. It would be our preference, and we hope it would be the preference of former members, that the operations continue from Tara House to whatever extent we are able negotiate

We have to ascertain whether the tenancy arrangement will be commercial both for the purchaser and for the QIA because we don’t want to put unnecessary strain on the QIA’s finances by way of an onerous rental arrangement.

A number of people have enquired as to the chattels owned by the QIA. We confirm that the chattels remain under the control of the liquidator, securely stored within Tara House and do not form part of the sale of Tara House. Arrangements are being made for the cultural artefacts to be removed and stored at a secure off-site location. The purchaser is open to an arrangement for the remaining chattels being stored on site to allow a tenancy to be negotiated. .

We are also aware that there have been approaches to the liquidator in relation to the surplus of funds from the sale of Tara House and the chattels. At this stage it is the intention of the Steering Committee that the QIA be brought out of liquidation and arrangements made for a new board to be instituted and the former members to be reinstated. In that scenario the QIA would receive the surplus funds.

As always the Steering Committee invites your comments and we do hope that we will be able to report to you shortly with a proposal for reinstatement of membership but in the meantime we appreciate your patience and your support.

Please feel free to email me at angielaylee@hotmail.com if you have any specific queries that you would like addressed and we will do our best to ensure that all former members are kept informed of any development.

Slan Tamall,

Angela Laylee
Membership Committee