Our History
Founded in 1963 with Stephen Deveney at the helm, St. Anthony’s & Claddagh Credit Union initially operated from the C.Y.M.S Hall in Mill Street, the credit union subsequently moved to 9 Mainguard Street and later purchased 8 Mainguard Street.
In 1978, St. Anthony’s amalgamated with the Claddagh Credit Union to become St. Anthony’s and Claddagh Credit Union Ltd. The credit union opened its branch office at the Westside Shopping Centre in 1997.
On the 3rd September 2009, there was a further merger of St. Anthony’s & Claddagh Credit Union with Oughterard Credit Union.
On the 4th April 2022, the credit union changed its name to ‘Claddagh Credit Union’ beginning a new chapter in the story of your credit union – a new era, a new look, new services, all tied in with providing the same great service with the same great people.
Our Ethos
Our ethos is to serve the needs of our members and our community. We have always upheld the philosophy of the Credit Union movement. The directors and officers of Claddagh Credit Union are of the view that there is no limit to what they can achieve, through co-operation.
Each member enjoys equal opportunities to vote and participate in decisions affecting their Credit Union. The Credit Union is controlled by a voluntary Board of Directors (all of whom are ordinary members) elected at our Annual General Meeting.
A credit union exists only to serve its members — not to profit from their needs. Surplus income generated is returned to the members by way of a dividend and/or is directed to the community through donations and sponsorships & to improved or additional services required by the members.
Credit unions are non-sectarian and non-political, and continue that Irish tradition of co-operative self-help.
Our Vision
“To be a loyal financial partner for our members and our community”
Our Mission
- To provide a full range of financial products and services for all stages of members’ lives. Our focus will be on products and services which we can provide exceptional value. Where we cannot provide exceptional value, we will seek partners and arrange referrals for members and to provide best advice at all times
- To deliver these products and services on line and in the community
- To reward our members and our community
- To do this in a professional and ethical manner while being mindful of Sustainable Development Goals
Our Values
- Culture of acting ethically and with integrity – this is demonstrated by a commitment to comply at all levels with Legislation, Regulatory Guidelines and Industry Best Practice
- Continuous improvement– this is managed using the Lean Methodology
- Financial prudence – this is demonstrated by the allocation of surplus to Reserves and Provisions above minimum requirements to ensure a strong financial position in the long term.
- Flexible and Adaptable – this is demonstrated by the ability to change in response to changes in the internal and external environment. This is achievable due to the split of executive and non-executive functions.
Safe, Secure & Strong
Our Credit Union seeks to be safe and secure and continues to serve its members well regardless of the economic constrains of the wider financial sector. Since our foundation in 1963, membership has grown consistently and there are now over 40,000 members, and an asset base of over €200m. These are excellent indicators of the trust and confidence that you as a member have in your Credit Union and its continuous prudent development.
Each Credit Union is a separate entity, managed and directed completely independently, and Claddagh Credit Union can assure all its members that their credit union is strong and vibrant business. We continue to follow a prudent business strategy focusing on low risk core products and services. Our sole source of funds is from members savings and any funds we do not lend out are in low risk investments.
We are regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland and subject to an annual audit by an independent external auditor and continuous internal audits. There is also the additional peace of mind provided by the Government Guarantee on savings of €100,000 per member.
Our Board of Directors
Our Credit Union is controlled and directed by a voluntary Board of Directors. The Board is elected by the Members of the Credit Union at the Annual General Meeting. Monthly Board meetings set policy, plan for the future development of the Credit Union and monitor the operations and finances.
The Board Oversight Committee is also elected by the members at the Annual General Meeting. The role of the Board Oversight Committee is to assess whether the Board of Directors has operated in accordance with the Credit Union Act 1997 (as amended) by the Credit Union and Co-Operation with Overseas Regulators Act 2012. The Board Oversight Committee meet every month and can be contacted at supervisors@claddaghcu.ie or PO Box 219, Freepost, Galway.
Thank You
We wish to thank all members for their continued support, and reassure them that their Credit Union is strong, in safe hands, and does not require any external support. We look forward to continuing to serve you in each of our three branches.
