Connect Credit Union
A credit union is a group of people who save together and lend to each other at a fair and reasonable rate of interest. We offer members the chance to have control over their own finances by making their own savings work for them. Connect Credit Union is owned by the members - the people who save and borrow with it - people like you.
When you become a member and start saving with Connect Credit Union you will have access to fair and reasonable rates on savings and loans.
Your savings contribute to your credit union’s loan fund. So your savings are helping other members. Members like you.
Connect 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 improved or additional services required by the members.
Connect Credit Union is non-sectarian and non-political, and continues that Irish tradition of co-operative self help.
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, who in 1849 formed societies, which later evolved in to Credit Unions. The purposes of these Credit Unions was to enable people to help themselves in relieving debt and poverty.
A Credit Union is a democratic, financial co-operative owned and controlled by its own members. Each Credit Union is run only to benefit its members, all of whom have something in common - the common bond.
The Credit Union movement was introduced into Ireland in 1958 by Nora Herilhy with the support of a number of other dedicated pioneers.
Since then, the Credit Union philosophy of mutual self-help has proved very popular, and there are now over 530 Credit Unions affiliated to the Irish league of Credit Unions throughout the country.
In Ireland over two million members have recognized the value of credit unions, and have savings approaching several billion euro with their credit unions. There are thousands employed in the sector and many more thousands are volunteers involved in the movement.
