REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT A RECEPTION FOR REPRESENTATIVES OF COMMUNITY GROUPS
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT A RECEPTION AT ÁRAS AN UACHTARÁIN FOR REPRESENTATIVES OF COMMUNITY GROUPS, TUESDAY, 5TH OCTOBER
Dia dhíbh a chairde. Is cúis mhór áthais dúinn fáilte fíorchaoin a chur romhaibh go léir chuig Áras an Uachtaráin tráthnóna.
Both Martin and I would like to warmly welcome you to Áras an Uachtaráin today. Most of you in this room are probably strangers to each other, but you also have much in common; for each of you believes strongly in community and you commit to that belief, you do the work of community building, so essential to a healthy and happy civic life.
Community is what transforms a bunch of strangers into a powerful team of good neighbours. It draws together all the skill and resource, the generosity and the hard work that is needed to cope with complex human lives and complex human needs- sport for our children, care for our elderly, opportunity for our disabled, support for our carers, guidance for our teenagers, second chances at education and personal development, the list is endless. You are the people who are weaving the web of community that holds us together. You add value, meaning, fun, fulfilment and hope to life and today’s reception is a modest way of saying thank you for all we owe you.
I know that you do what you do, out of love and caring for people or place or both, and not for any thanks or recognition, but without your work the quality of life on this island would be impoverished to an extent unimaginable. You make a difference, a very significant difference, not just in your street, parish, county or community but in helping to build up healthy communities, and a healthy sense of community, you are building up a healthy country. The ripple effects of your work go wide and they go deep.
Since coming to Office, I have had the privilege of meeting many local community groups from all over the country. We are very lucky on this island of ours for there are literally thousands of them, harnessing an army of volunteers, in order to improve the quality of life for neighbours, families and friends. In Ireland, more than almost anywhere else, we know the importance and the value of voluntary work. We know how it sustained us in harder times, how that spirit, of neighbour helping neighbour, helped many a family in need to keep its head above water, and how it gave people hope in the future and in each other.
Today we are privileged to live in a time of unprecedented prosperity. Never before have we been so confident as a nation. Never before have we had such reason for celebration. We have seen the tide of emigration turn, the spectre of unemployment fade, the recognition of Ireland as a great success story and the emergence of peace in Northern Ireland.
But there is another Ireland within our shores. It is a world where the reality of daily life is a far cry from prosperity, where hope in the future is hard to find. Many of you recognise the reality of that other Ireland. You have seen the problems around you and instead of saying “someone should do something about that”, you have gone out and done it yourselves.
There is an old saying that “if you are still wringing your hands you can’t have your sleeves rolled up”. Within your own communities, you have rolled up your sleeves and made a start, an important step forward. Every healthy community needs people like you to help it grow, develop and become confident. I congratulate you on all you have accomplished and thank you for your selflessness, your kindness to others, your gift of friendship and caring and determination to make things the very best they can be in your community. Those communities and this country are better places to live because of what you do. Long may you continue with your important work.
I would like to thank our MC, Paul Kennedy, and the wonderfully talented, harpist Mary Kelly and Delvin Church Choir, for entertaining us so well. I would also like to thank our friends from Civil Defence and the staff here at the Áras who have worked hard to make today enjoyable for everyone.
Today is your day and we hope that you will relax and enjoy this afternoon and return home with happy memories of your visit to the Áras.
Is iontach an obair atá ar siúl agaibh. Go n-éirí go geal libh. Go raibh maith agaibh.