REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT CIVIC RECEPTION HOSTED BY ENNISCORTHY URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT CIVIC RECEPTION HOSTED BY ENNISCORTHY URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL WEDNESDAY, 25 APRIL, 2001
Is onóir dom bheith i bhur measc inniu ag an ócáíd seo agus tá mé thar a bheith buíoch díbh as an chuireadh agus as an bhfáilte chaoin a chur sibh romham.
I am very conscious of the privilege you bestow on me today. To be afforded a Civic Reception is a singular honour but all the more so when it is received in “The Model County’! I would like to thank Cllr Sean Doyle and members of Enniscorthy District Council for the kind invitation to be with you here today and for this formal welcome to Enniscorthy – a welcome that reflects the warmth and hospitality for which your town is renowned.
Enniscorthy is a town rich in tradition and proud of its history – a brave and tragic history which cannot be forgotten as we are gathered here in the shadow of Vinegar Hill. The story of Enniscorthy is the story of a courageous and passionate people who fought with honour and conviction to bring about a better, a more inclusive society. Their legacy lives on to this day and is commemorated in this wonderful Visitors Centre. The legacy bequeathed to the people of this town by their ancestors, that sense of pride, of fierce loyalty, of courage in the face of adversity continues to inspire new generations to work hard for the benefit of everyone in the community.
Cherishing our past, recognising it as a treasure and a resource, is not in any way incompatible with our being a modern forward-looking nation. On the contrary, it is a measure of our maturity as a nation that we are now coming to terms with our rich and complex history. We are proud of the fact that we draw from deep wells of our ancient nation and proud too that daily in this generation those wells that are our heritage are being added to by the first generation to know an Ireland that is at last coming confidently into its own.
Today Ireland is experiencing an era of cultural and economic buoyancy. There is a palpable air of optimism and regeneration right across the country and across the world we are regarded not just with the historic affection many countries have for us, but with a deep respect for our achievements in changing the future so dramatically for our people. Here in Enniscorthy as elsewhere in the country people struggle and juggle with today’s web of challenges and opportunities. Everyone wants their town to be vibrant and dynamic, offering opportunities to the next generation. But no one wants progress to destroy cherished character and values so a careful path has to be woven between creating and managing economic success while ensuring that the spirit and character of towns such as Enniscorthy is cherished and conserved for future generations. We want to enjoy these good times and to make the most of them. We want them to help us develop and grow our civic strength, making communities healthier, happier, more achievement oriented but also even more people oriented. It is a tribute to the people of Enniscorthy and to its civic leaders that you have met these challenges so well.
I would like to congratulate Enniscorthy UDC for the central role you have played in preserving and enhancing the natural and built heritage and environment for the benefit of all the community. The renovation of existing buildings and the improvements to the town’s market square are two notable achievements and of course I must complement you on the magnificent work that has been undertaken in this Centre.
The people of Enniscorthy will always respond to a challenge whether its on the hurling field, or in exploiting the natural beauty of the town and its hinterlands for its tourism potential. We can too easily take community and community endeavour for granted. It is the backbone of our civic life, much of it done voluntarily and for no reward other than the joy of showcasing your people, your place at their very best. I understand you have set your sights on the Tidy Towns competition, well let other towns be warned, you will be formidable competition thanks to your vibrant and hardworking tidy towns committee.
Historically this town was blessed in people who cared about the future. Today it is privileged to have community builders, people who care, about each other, about their town, capable of fielding a team of workers and achievers second to none in the country. The people of Enniscorthy know well that it takes more than bricks and mortar to build a community out of a random collection of houses and human beings.
Community spirit is built and sustained by people of big hearts, generous with their time, their money, their skills, their enthusiasm, willing to work alongside others, to make themselves available, to put themselves out and still to believe passionately that lovely line from St. Francis prayer – “that it is in giving we receive”. Enniscorthy possesses that essential community spirit that pulls together the voluntary sector, the state and local government sectors, drawing together the range of resources, skills and dynamism to build for a better future for all the people of Enniscorthy. I warmly commend the people of Enniscorthy and the members and officials of the UDC on your wonderful achievements to date, and I wish you every success in the future.
It gives me great pleasure to accept the honour you have given me today.