Speech welcoming members of the Irish Ladies Fly Fishing Association
Áras an Uachtaráin, Tuesday, 10th May, 2016
You are all most welcome here today.
It is a pleasure to have you all here at Áras an Uachtaráin, the home of the President.
Bhí comóradh 25 bliain ag Cumann Éireannach Iascach Cuileoige na mBan anuraidh, agus tá an t-uafás déanta agaibh i rith na h-ama sin chun slatiascaireacht na mban a chur chun cinn anseo in Éirinn.
[Last year marked the 25th anniversary of the Irish Ladies’ Fly Fishing Association, and you have done much in those years to promote ladies’ angling here in Ireland.]
I believe you will be travelling to Scotland at the end of this month in order to represent Ireland at the Ladies’ International Fly Fishing Championships. That is a great achievement and I wish you every success in that competition.
I was greatly impressed to learn that your team comprises members from both North and South of this Island, and that you fish under a flag of peace and friendship. That is an uplifting reminder of the power of sporting activities to transcend boundaries and cultural difference and to create common bonds through a shared interest.
In anticipation of your visit I was doing some reading on the popular activity of fly fishing, and was impressed by its very long and distinguished pedigree. It was, as some of you here probably know, first mentioned by the Roman Claudius Ælianus, towards the end of the 2nd century in his book De Natura Animalium.
As well as a long one, the history of fly fishing is also a rather intriguing one. I believe there is some mystery around the exact location of the river Astraeus in Macedonia, which Claudius Ælianus identified as the location in which fly fishing was first practiced.
Indeed I understand that in recent decades there have been many attempts to discover which modern river can claim to be Ælian's Astræus, but to date those attempts have not been successful.
So, as keen fly fishers you are part of a story rooted in ancient Rome and shaded by an air of mystery. There are not many sporting and recreational activities about which that sentence could be uttered.
In Ireland, of course, fly fishing is an immensely popular activity. Indeed, our extensive network of rivers and loughs attract fly fishers from around the world.
It is also a form of fishing that has done much to serve the purpose of fish conservation, and I know that ‘catch and release’ is strongly promoted by the fishing community here in Ireland. Indeed, I know that the concept of conservation is deeply embedded into the world of fly fishing, and you are to be greatly commended for that.
As global citizens, we all share an enormous responsibility to protect our environment, to play our part in preserving the planet for our own and for future generations. No nation in our contemporary world is insulated from the great challenges set to us by such pressing issues as global climate change, poverty and hunger.
It is important that we do not lose sight of the many small ways in which we can, by constantly examining how to do things better, make a significant contribution to that great global welfare.
In conclusion, may I thank you once again for visiting me here today, in advance of your important journey to Scotland.
Bíonn sé suimiúil i gcónaí bualadh le grúpaí éagsúla a dhéanann go leor ar son ár sochaí ar bhealaigh éagsúla, trí ábhair is cás leo agus trí gníomhaíochtaí taitneamhacha; agus trí ionadaíocht a dhéanamh don tír seo ar an ardán idirnáisiúnta
[It is always most interesting to meet groups who, in their different ways, contribute so much to our society through shared interests and activities; and to representing our country on the international stage. ]
I wish you well in the Championships and every success in the future.
