Speech at a reception for Team Ireland following the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil
Áras an Uachtaráin, 28 August 2016
A Aire, Aire Stáit, a Dhaoine Chóir,
Tá áthas orm fáilte a fhearadh romhaibh chuig Áras an Uachtaráin ar maidin chun an méid a bhain sibh amach i Rio de Janeiro a cheiliúradh. Is mór agam a deis seo a ghlacadh sibh a mholadh agus comhghairdeas a dhéanamh libh thar ceann mhuintir na hÉireann. Tá muid ar fad an-bhrodúil as bhur n-iarrachtaí agus as an íomhá dhearfach d'Éirinn a léirigh sibh ar an ardán domhanda.
[Minister, Minister of State, Athletes, Coaches, supporting families and friends -
I am so happy to welcome all of you here to Áras an Uachtaráin and to have the opportunity of celebrating with you your participation in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to pay tribute to you, directly, for your achievements, for representing us so admirably on the world stage, and for presenting an image of our country in terms of sporting commitment of which we can all be very proud.]
The majority of citizens in Ireland look on in admiration at those few, who through exceptional natural talent, tireless dedication and expert coaching and support, have achieved the right and privilege of wearing the green tracksuit.
Not only for those interested in sport, or likely to become involved but for the entire country, your individual and collective performances have been inspirational. The whole nation has, with you, relished the highs and suffered the lows that we shared over the past few weeks. We have recognized stalwarts but also discovered new superb athletes with the capacity to perform at the highest level, and of course, we are more familiar now with the nuances of the wide array of disciplines in which you represented us. Whether it was Modern Pentathlon, the 3m free dive, or the mirror radial class sailing, the country was educated and enthralled by your efforts.
Personally I was so very impressed by your comments, in interviews after the events, on achieving personal bests, on your critiquing of your performances, and the emphasis on performance itself.
Sport is historically part of our culture, and it is fitting that in this year of commemoration and remembrance of the 1916 Rising that I have the opportunity to receive sportswomen and men here at Áras an Uachtaráin.
Our sportsmen and women have demonstrated that aspect of our culture and our internationalism on the world stage with such pride and success; our sporting community, from our fantastic performances in the Six Nations and the European Championships in France earlier this year, to the achievements of yourselves, our Olympic athletes, over the past three weeks are inspirational and full of encouragement. We are all also looking forward to the Paralympic Games, which are due to begin on the 7th of September, and we wish our Paralympic athletes the best of luck in all of their events.
There were so many wonderful performances by Team Ireland with Irish athletes reaching the finals of their events, achieving personal bests and setting new Irish records. Even for those who do the descriptions in a different way, results from the 2016 Olympics surpassed the previous three Games, with 14 top ten finishes compared to 8 in London, and 14 top twenty finishes compared to 6 four years ago.
For those watching the Games it was wonderful to see new and extended Irish representation in an ever increasing number of Olympic sports. Oliver Dingley, who reached the final of his event, was our first athlete to participate in diving at the Olympics for almost 70 years. Our Hockey team was the first to compete at Olympic level for over 100 years and our golfers, men and women, competed with great performances in the first Olympic Golf tournament for 112 years. History was also made by Ellis O’Reilly who was the first female gymnast to represent Ireland at the Olympic Games.
I hope that the success of these athletes will encourage young people to participate in some of the less traditional but rapidly growing sports, that they get the opportunity to train to elite level and to reach the heights of the Olympic Games in years to come.
Medals of course, are important and a huge source of encouragement not only for the medalists themselves, but for their team mates, for aspiring Olympians and as an inspiration for girls and boys starting off in their sporting lives. I must particularly highlight our Rio Olympic medal winners, Paul and Gary O’Donovan and Annalise Murphy.
The O’Donovan brothers have brought Irish rowing to the world's attention, and seeing them on the podium collecting their medals was an enormously proud moment for the country, and the authenticity of their commitment to, and pleasure in, competitive rowing was something that lifted hearts all over the world on water and on land; and to see Paul again on a podium lifting a gold medal high stirred the whole country.
The success of Annalise Murphy was another special moment for Irish sport. We all shared in Annalise’s joy, following her bitter-sweet experience at the London Olympics, and that silver medal was long-awaited and extremely well deserved. I watched her reception to her own club, and young sailor after young sailor spoke of how she was their exemplar. The fantastic achievements of our Rio medalists and all of our athletes who competed at the highest level have instilled such pride in Irish people everywhere, and you have shown yourselves as true and vibrant ambassadors for your country.
I also welcome the victory in the justice of athletics that has given the bronze medal he won at the London Olympics to Rob Heffernan, and the gold medal won at the World Championships in Berlin to Olive Loughnane.
Success, as you all know, cannot be measured solely by the number of medals won and in many ways it is a crude indication of Olympic success. By the evident passion shown by Irish sportsmen and sportswomen in the past three weeks, by your hard work and years of dedication to achieve excellence and by the pride you so clearly have in representing your country at an international level, simply by getting to Rio and competing as one of the world's best in your discipline, you have succeeded and accomplished great feats.
This is, of course, a manifestation of the Olympic Creed, coined by Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the International Olympic Committee:
“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.”
For some of you, you may be considering that this may be your last Olympic Games. If it is, you can look back with pride on all you have achieved. Others of you have already announced that you will be back, doing what you do and mixing it with the best in the world in Tokyo. Whether you reached your full potential in Rio or, as some of you have told us, that you have identified areas to work on for Tokyo. Only you will know, but be assured that you carry our best wishes for your endeavours.
The road to international sporting success is a challenging and difficult one. It is not a journey for the fainthearted and those who seek the accolades have to put in the hard work and persevere through the setbacks and difficulties that so often stand between us and our goals. And there were setbacks in Rio, both sporting and otherwise.
Individual athletes can surpass their own and others' expectations and many Irish athletes did so in Rio; but athletes can also underperform at every Olympic Games, for a variety of reasons, or in adverse circumstances. This is the nature of sport and of the human condition. The challenge is how one responds to such setbacks both on a personal level and as part of a larger sporting community that is trying to ensure that Irish sportswomen and men are as best prepared and supported as they can be.
These Olympic games have also exposed some serious issues for us, both here in Ireland and amongst the entire Olympic Family. Issues of doping, alas never far from the Olympic story in recent years, questionable decision making by referees and judges during the games, and the controversy around the administration of our sports all deserve serious analysis and fearless responses here at home and internationally. Each of these issues, if not adequately addressed, has the potential to undermine public confidence in our athletes, in our sporting administration and in the fairness of international sporting competition itself.
Sports and the Olympic Games are worth protecting. The games have a history of promoting international cooperation through sport. In an age where there is so much division, fear and suspicion between peoples, I believe that the Olympic message of friendship and support, of our common humanity as expressed through sporting endeavour, is more important than ever.
While events such as the Olympic Games are based on competition, seeing athletes and supporters from 206 different countries, and of displaced people, share in this atmosphere of celebration and achievement is an uplifting and affirmative message to send around the world. I know that these Games have provided an opportunity for you to meet people from other sports, other countries and other backgrounds, and I know that new friendships and cooperation will be a legacy of the 2016 Olympic Games.
All of the athletes present today now have been given the opportunity to become role models. Many already are. Participation by too many young people in sport tends to decline as they reach their teenage years, and efforts must be made to not only encourage children to partake in sport from a young age but also to ensure that that participation continues throughout their education and into adult life. Elite athletes like you already play a vital part in encouraging this participation, whether at recreational or elite level, and at all levels in between. Your public encouragement in those endeavours is so valuable, as encouragement and inspiration. As President, I acknowledge it and thank you for it.
Your achievements as athletes are due to your own dedication and hard work. I am also sure you would all agree that it would be impossible to become the elite athletes you are today without the help and support of many, many people including your coaches, physios, doctors, nutritionists and the countless members of your team who have instructed, encouraged, trained and prepared you over the years. The nurturing and support of family and friends is also crucial, as it is impossible to get through the grueling process of training and preparation without the encouragement and support of loved ones. This essential contribution of staff, family, friends and of course, fans, must be commended. There is a saying that it takes a village to raise a child, and it could also be said that it takes a community to raise an Olympian.
The Irish Team and their supporters gathered here today demonstrates that success, no matter how gifted you are, is not something that happens easily or overnight; that natural talent must be combined with huge dedication and constant hard work before you can be good enough to be chosen to wear the green jersey and represent your country on the international stage. Each member of Team Ireland has shown that they have those qualities in abundance.
You have also all demonstrated an impressive team spirit as you generously celebrate each other’s achievements, and console each other in your disappointments.
Gabhaim buíochas libh, agus molaim sibh as bhur gcuid oibre agus as bhur dtiomantas, agus tá meas agus tacaíocht mhuintir na hÉireann tuilte agaibh dá bharr.
I thank you all, and commend you for your dedication and hard work, which earned you the support of the whole country while you were competing for Ireland. You are important role models for budding athletes everywhere, and for those who endeavor to make a difference in their respective fields. You have shown them through your courage, what can be achieved with tenacity, hard work and a positive attitude.
Above all you have created and represent great joy.
Congratulations and thank you very much for making us proud.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.