REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT A RECEPTION FOR SENIOR CITIZENS AT ÁRAS AN UACHTARÁIN
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT A RECEPTION FOR SENIOR CITIZENS AT ÁRAS AN UACHTARÁIN FRIDAY, 28 APRIL, 2006
Is cúis mhór áthais duinn fáilte a chur romhaibh go léir chuig Áras an Uachtaráin inniu.
Martin and I are delighted to welcome everybody here today to Áras an Uachtaráin. Many of you have travelled long distances to be with us here today. So we have people from Mayo to Waterford, Beara to Downpatrick, not to mention people all the way from Dublin.
We hope that you will relax and enjoy this afternoon and leave with some happy memories of your visit to the Áras.
This afternoon is my chance to thank all of you, and indeed to thank all our senior citizens, for the enormous contribution you have made in building, fostering, and bringing to maturity, the self-assured and progressive Ireland of today. The prosperous Ireland we enjoy was made possible by the immense hard work, sacrifice, vision and determination of our parents and grandparents. Most of them had very little and they willingly did without, in order to make a better life for the next generation. Today is a celebration of that commitment, self-sacrifice and selflessness and an acknowledgment of the debt we owe to those who lived through much leaner, tougher times when they had so few of the opportunities we take for granted today.
In our busy and fast-moving world we often find ourselves wondering ‘where does the time go’ and we have so little of this precious commodity to share with each other. One of the rewards of later life is having a little more of that precious commodity so that we can talk, and listen, and make that contact across the generations, which is so mutually rewarding for young and old alike. Perhaps it is just being there for friends or family members, providing young children with a secure and loving environment in which they can grow and flourish, supporting teenagers trying to find their way in what is sometimes seen as an uncaring world or helping harried parents busy trying to juggle family and work responsibilities.
Some of us grow older, blessed with good health and surrounded by a happy family and good friends. Some of us unfortunately do not, we start to feel a bit left out, lose the daily social interaction we need, become uncomprehending of the world about us. The young have their computers, their iPods and their ‘third generation’ mobile phones, even their language may seem incomprehensible at times. But while technology may change and fashions come and go, certain central truths remain. We all need hope in our lives, we need to dream, to share our worries and fears, to be respected, listened to and cared for. We need each other. Indeed a busy younger generation often cannot go out to work without the help of a grandmother or grandfather for our senior citizens are often time rich in a time poor world and that gift of time is a huge investment in the children of our country.
It is so good to see so many active Senior Citizens in Ireland – they have built a better Ireland by the sweat of their brow and their distilled life’s experience and wisdom is a great resource in these giddy times. I hope you will enjoy this day, meet a new friend or two and later savour the memory of a happy day of friendship and fun.
Martin and I are going to move about the tables to say hello to each of you – and afterwards, you might like to have a look around the house. It has many a story to tell for its 250 years span of very tumultuous times in Irish history. Luckily today we live through times of peace and prosperity when we are well on the road to reconciliation North and South, East and West. I am very privileged to live in this home which embodies and embraces all the traditions and cultures on this island.
For your enjoyment this afternoon, we are particularly fortunate to have Austin Gaffney who will be accompanied on the piano by that fine musician, Michael Casey. I thank them as I thank our friends from Civil Defence and the staff here at the Áras who, I’m sure you will agree, have worked hard to make the day enjoyable for everyone.
Go raibh maith agaibh go léir.