REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT A GARDEN PARTY FOR COMMUNITY GROUPS ÁRAS AN UACHTARÁIN
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT A GARDEN PARTY FOR COMMUNITY GROUPS ÁRAS AN UACHTARÁIN THURSDAY, 8th July 2010
Dia dhíbh go léir, agus fáilte.
Good afternoon, everybody.
Martin and I are delighted to welcome each one of you to Áras an Uachtaráin. A traditional céad míle fáilte – one hundred thousand welcomes to you all. I am delighted to see so many of you from all corners of the island of Ireland. Some have come from just down the road and some of you had quite a journey to get here but no matter how long or short the journey, we are delighted you made it and hope that you are enjoying your day.
I know that many of you are involved in community organisations and that this involvement requires time, effort and dedication. A wise man once said that commitment is the soul of community and today’s special day is about recognizing and appreciating that commitment – it’s about saying thank you.
Last winter was quite a test of community spirit and I know many of you here were on hand through floods, snow and ice to help out neighbours and friends. Community is the place where we live, not as strangers to one another but as friends who look out for one another and who look after one another. It is something Ireland does particularly well as I have reason to know for whether travelling around Ireland or meeting the Irish abroad I see the massive investment made by volunteers in thousands of organizations designed to enhance the quality of our lives. Today is a way of saying thank you for all you do and all you represent. If you stopped investing your time and talents in community, Ireland would be plunged into a Dark Age, an awful grim Ice Age. But because you care and keep on caring week in and week out, good things happen in our communities and hundreds of thousands of people know the joy of support, encouragement, care, inclusion, opportunity in every possible sphere and age group.
So this day is yours - designed for your comfort and entertainment so enjoy it all. On your behalf and on behalf of myself and Martin, I thank those wonderfully talented people who have been keeping us entertained this afternoon and who are about to perform for us again. To our MC, Derek Mooney and the winners of Fame, Jessica Cervi and Ben Morris, to the winner of the All Ireland Talent Show, Chloe Coyle, to the brass quintet from DIT, the Harmony Singers, the Dublin Male Voice Choir and Cibé, I say a big thank you and I am looking forward to seeing you all perform.
I would also like to say thank you to our friends in the Civil Defence, the Gardaí, the tour guides and the staff here at the Áras who have all worked so hard to make today a success.
To all our guests, I hope you enjoy the chance to see the house, sample the food, listen to the music, and maybe make a new friend before the day is out. I hope that when you look back on this day, it will bring a smile to your face and a happy memory just as you have done for so many others.
Martin and I hope you have a great afternoon and return home safely, bringing with you stories to tell of a great visit to Áras an Uachtaráin.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.