Ulster Spoon were very grateful to receive generous sponsorship for the event from BDO Stoy Hayward, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors. A Private Dinner for for team members and family was held in the hotel on 12th march hosted by Ulster Hon President Dr Jack Kyle, who played in the 1948 team.

On the 13th March  the committee arranged a coach trip (compliments of the Belfast Bus Company) to the Ulster Branch Headquarters at Ravenhill and walked the pitch on which the games was played with the players who won the Grand Slam –  the original match ball was available for the players to pass around and score again on the exact spots!

The lunch followed a Champagne Reception. Tony Richards, Deputy CEO of Spoon welcomed everyone to the 'unique' event – an event that only Ireland could stage after 60 years!

Willie John McBride, the joint Hon. President, gave humorous recollections of his first 'Call Up' for Ireland and the letter that outlined the very strict rules regarding expenses, returning your shirt to the IRFU if you lost the match and the lack of team preparation before the match.  “You just turned up on the day – the only need we had for a Coach in those days was to get us to the match!”

Ray McLoughlin who started and finished his International and Lions Rugby Career on the same days as Willie John entertained everyone with other memoirs that Willie was too shy to mention. There was also a video link from Sir Anthony O’Reilley, a former Irish and Lions star. The MC for the day was Spoon member and BBC Commentator Jim Neilly, who interviewed the team members and encouraged them to tell some of their secrets of their success – the Lock Forward (one Jimmy Nelson) will not be mentioned; he went to ballet lessons to learn how to jump in the lineout!!

A sporting auction was held – A Lions shirt signed by 22 Irish Captains and an Irish shirt signed by 57 Irish Lions and a magnificent Waterford Crystal Rugby Ball (donated by Waterford Crystal) on which the signatures of all the Team had been transcribed from an original programme, plus the details of the matches played.

The lunch was rounded off  at a leisurely hour with musical entertainment by singer, Martin Toal. Everyone certainly went home in great spirits.

Thank you to the BBC and the Belfast Telegraph who provided tremendous publicity in the run up to the event, on the day and afterwards. And thanks must go to Ulster Spoon Committee Member, Peter Wood who came up with the idea, made all the contacts, provided the auction items and his small team of Sheena Cregg and Michael Whiteley, who carried off the day very successfully for one and all.