Speech at the United Irish Cultural Centre
San Francisco, 25th October 2015
A dhaoine uaisle agus a chairde. Tá an-áthas orm bheith anseo libh inniu.
Sabina and I are delighted to be here in San Francisco. Thank you to Philip Grant for your kind words of introduction and all of you for that generous welcome.
I am very pleased to have the opportunity to meet with so many representatives of the Irish Community here in this great city.
Meeting, as we are, in this United Irish Cultural Centre, I am conscious of the successive generations of Irishmen and women who have made the long journey to the West Coast of the United States of America.
Many of those who left Ireland did so during particularly troubled times, with famine and physical deprivation driving so many of our forebears from their native land. Our history of emigration is a complex one, and one of many streams, containing many sad and poignant individual stories as well as those of success and fulfilment. It is also, however, a history that has gifted us with a large global family; and it is a great pleasure as President of Ireland to meet with so many members of that extended Irish family, and to have the opportunity to hear their stories.
The Irish have played a significant and integral role in building the sense of community that makes San Francisco such a special place. Indeed the Irish were amongst the first settlers in the San Francisco Bay area, taking an active and prominent role in the development of this great city. The Irish, through their roles in the uniformed services, and as teachers, and nurses and other caring professionals, were central to the creation of the community life of San Francisco.
While those who leave Ireland make new lives in their homes across the world, the deep pride that our emigrants retain in the culture and heritage of their native country is inspiring. They work tirelessly to promote our music and song, our film and theatre, our traditional sports and our rich literary tradition, ensuring those traditions continue to flourish and evolve here in the United States. That is something for which all of us Irish, at home and abroad, should be grateful.
Equally impressive is the way that our Irish heritage has been so imaginatively interwoven with new cultures and new traditions. This has resulted in innovative works of art, music and literature, being influenced by all that is best about the past whilst reflecting a new and ever-changing world.
May I conclude by acknowledging what we in Ireland owe to all those who left our shores, often reluctantly, many years ago. You have lived rich and fulfilling lives, mindful of your Irish heritage, and contributing greatly to your community here – working, making friends, raising and educating families, sowing seeds to support the arrival of later generations of emigrants. You should be proud of what you have achieved and the legacy you have passed on to future generations; just as we at home are deeply proud of the global Irish family who represent us so well across the globe.
I thank you all for being with me here today. It has been a great pleasure to meet with yet another branch of our extended family.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir agus beirigí libh mo bheannacht ó chroí.