The Royal Irish Yacht Club looks forward to welcoming Kevin Vickers, the Canadian Ambassador to Ireland, as its international guest speaker at a dinner next Friday 9 November.

Ambassador Vickers has served as Ambassador of Canada to Ireland since January 2015. He was previously Sergeant-at-Arms of Canada’s House of Commons and prior to that had a successful 29-year-long career with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

He is a recipient of the Queen’s Jubilee Medal, the Canada 125 Medal, and the RCMP Long Service Medal. He has also been recognised by the Community of Burnt Church for his outstanding service to their community, and by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency for his ‘Outstanding Contribution to Drug Enforcement’.

In 2014, Vickers was hailed as a hero by Canada’s parliamentarians and other prominent Canadian and international figures for his actions in stopping the October attack at the Parliament of Canada.

This event is open to all RIYC members and their guests and will cost €40 per person including a glass of Prosecco on arrival. A members’ table will be available. Online booking is available HERE.

Another date for your calendar is Thursday 22 November, when the RIYC Military History Annual Lecture is delivered by keynote guest Professor Saul David, well-known British academic military historian, author and broadcaster.

Prof David will deliver his lecture ‘The Force: The First Special Service Force and the Capture of Monte la Difensa’, telling the incredible true story of the assault on Hitler’s Winter Line in southern Italy in December 1943 – one of the greatest military feats of the Second World War – and the small group of elite US and Canadian soldiers who carried it out.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the RIYC’s Christmas brochure details events planned at the Dun Laoghaire waterfront clubhouse throughout the upcoming festive season.