REMARKS BY PESIDENT McALEESE AT A RECEPTION FOR SENIOR CITIZENS ÁRAS AN UACHTARÁIN MONDAY
REMARKS BY PESIDENT McALEESE AT A RECEPTION FOR SENIOR CITIZENS ÁRAS AN UACHTARÁIN MONDAY, 20TH MAY, 2002
A cháirde,
Cuireann sé áthas mór orm agus ar mo fhear chéile, Máirtin, fáilte a chur romhaimh go léir chuig Áras an Uachtaráin inniu.
Martin and I would like to extend a warm céad míle fáilte to each of you this afternoon on your visit to Áras an Uachtaráin. I know that some of you have travelled long distances to be with us and indeed some of you have taken a long time to travel short distances and we are delighted to welcome you here today.
Today is a celebration, an opportunity for me to acknowledge and to thank all of you for your contribution to building the Ireland of today – an Ireland that is prosperous, confident and forward looking. We should never forget that this prosperity would not have been possible had it not been for the sacrifices and commitment of our parents and grandparents, who worked and saved and dreamed of a better life for their children and grandchildren. That dream has now become true for many Irish people. I heard a bishop put it well at a recent commemoration ceremony at Arbour Hill when he quoted an old Irish proverb- those who drink the water should remember with gratitude those who dug the well.
We are now living in – what is often referred to as the “Information Age”. Much weight is given to developments in science and technology. Some times as we get older we may begin to feel a little lost in the world of the young with their play stations, computers and all the www.com – sometimes we aren’t even sure we’re speaking the same language! But the truth is that while on the surface many things may change, fashion comes and goes, certain central truths remain. We, all of us, need to talk, to hope, to dream, to share our worries and our insecurities. The younger generation needs to be able to tap into your experiences, to your knowledge to help solve their worries, their difficulties.
In the growing busyness of life, that wonderful gift of having time for each other is an endangered natural resource. One of the great well-earned gifts of maturity is the wealth of knowledge and experience that comes with it. That wonderful Irish phrase sums it up –“Gaois na h-aoise” - the wisdom of age. In the wider community we need your wisdom, insight and energy to help shape a more humane and decent world.
In his beautiful novel about the Korean War – entitled “I Am the Clay”, the author Chaim Potok tells the story of an elderly couple, fleeing for their lives across icy mountains. They waken each morning to find the dead bodies of their fellow refugees – dead from cold and hunger. The old handcart they use to help them cross the mountain, to carry their bedding and bits of firewood is essential to their survival. En route they meet a badly injured child and the old woman nurses him back to life against the old man’s better judgment. He is angry because the boy has to be fed and food is scarce. He is weak, has to be carried. But the boy grows strong. The wheel falls off the cart. All three are in danger of dying because they cannot go on to safety without it. The old man knows how to fix it but hasn’t the energy to scavenge for the materials he needs. The young boy has no idea how to fix it but has the strength to gather the materials. Together old man, young boy, they fix the cart – they make it to safety together. On their own, none would have survived but with the wisdom of the old and the strength of the young, a formidable partnership changed all their lives – created new chances, fresh opportunities. Each yet unlived hour is an opportunity to make a real contribution to today’s Ireland.
It is interesting that when I looked at my daily calendar, the quotation for today is “only those who have been disappointed can really appreciate success when it comes” In the course of your lives you will, no doubt, have endured many disappointments. You will have witnessed changes in society; changes in attitudes, changes in technology and these in themselves present their own challenges. However, to embrace these challenges as you so obviously have means that we as a people are stronger.
Recently I had the pleasure of attending a service to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Methodist Church in Lucan. In his sermon Rev. Harold Good pointed out that whilst we had come together to reflect on the achievements of the previous one hundred and twenty five years, the celebration presented an opportunity to look to the future with optimism and enthusiasm. He referred to a wonderful quote from Thomas O’Loughlin, the Patrician scholar who said “We visit the past not as we might visit a museum but as villagers returning to a well from which their forefathers took life-giving water”. The past is indeed a life-giving source which enables us to move forward with hope. If we are to grow as individuals, as a community, as a nation we certainly must not live in the past, but at the same time we should honour the days gone by, give thanks but above all learn from our past experiences.
In a few moments I will have a chance to chat to you about some of those experiences. But before I finish I would like to take this opportunity to thank our MC for the afternoon, Paul Kennedy. I would also like to thank our wonderful entertainers who have helped make today a special day for you Orla Kelly, harpist and our friends from Comhaltas Ceoltoirí Éireann.
My thanks also to John Gould, the Civil Defence Officer on duty for his expert assistance, and of course the staff here at Áras who work very hard to make occasions such as this enjoyable for everyone.
I hope that you will bring home with you some good memories from your visit to the Áras.
Go raibh maith agaibh go léir.