Remarks by President McAleese at the Annual Dinner of the Warrenpoint, Burren and Rostrevor Chamber
Remarks by President McAleese at the Annual Dinner of the Warrenpoint, Burren and Rostrevor Chamber of Commerce
Dia Dhaoibh a chairde agus mo ceadh mile buiochas as ucht an cuireadh agus an failte fior-chaoin a thug sibh domhsa. A special thank you to an old friend, Chamber President Frank O’Hare and to all of you for the invitation that brings me close to home and the lovely Kingdom of Mournes welcome.
It was the Troubles that brought my family from Belfast to live in Rostrevor, one of Ireland’s most beautiful villages over thirty years ago. Its hinterland of Warrenpoint, Burren, the Mournes, Newry, Dundalk, Carlingford became our hinterland, our home and though it was far from untouched by the Troubles, in truth it offered a remarkable quality of life and showed great resilience throughout those very tough times.
I have seen-in quite a few New Years here but none have been as good or as promising as this new year of 2008. Politics have changed, peace has taken hold, new partnerships have opened up. Within Northern Ireland, the consensus built by the Executive and Assembly allows us to hope that the worst days of sectarian division are over and that inter-communal reconciliation is a growing reality. Cross-border relationships have never been more energetic or more relaxed. Relationships between Great Britain and Ireland have never been friendlier or more collegial. Suddenly we have shifted into the uncharted but calm waters of peace, shared prosperity and good neighbourliness.
This moment of opportunity has been a very long time in the making. It is almost ten years since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. It is almost 4,000 lost lives later and God knows how much suffering told and untold, but the moment is here and like all opportunities of a lifetime, it has to be used in the lifetime of the opportunity. That is where local leadership is crucial and where in particular the work of your Chamber of Commerce is essential.
As a Border region situated in one of the most magnificently scenic areas on this island with a still relatively undiscovered natural landscape of sea, mountains and forest, this area is ripe with the kind of potential that needs investment and entrepreneurialism. What is more, given its location, it is clear that a cross-border focus is likely to add considerably to that potential.
In recent times you have met with Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern who assured you of the ongoing commitment of the Irish Government to the future of this region. Not only has it pledged more than £400 million to the development of Northern Ireland’s road infrastructure but a commitment to an ambition close to your hearts is contained in the Programme for Government - that is, of course, the long-cherished hope for a bridge at Narrow Water. Alongside these developments the governments in both Belfast and Dublin are forging ahead with partnerships which will bring huge benefits to the North generally and this area in particular - in the energy market, healthcare, trade, tourism, education and in the many other spheres that strengthen economies, create opportunities and consolidate peace and prosperity.
There is a lot of time to make up for. History’s legacy here saw a lot of wasted opportunity. To take one example - within the European Union, the land border with the least commerce across it was for a long time the land border on this island. That story began to change in recent years and this area has played a very considerable role in promoting increased cross-border business. Today InterTradeIreland, the Newry-based trade and business development body established under the Good Friday Agreement works to bring good business to every part of this island. The resources of Invest Northern Ireland and Enterprise Ireland are available to everyone and they work closely together. We have had a number of very successful joint trade delegations in the past few years and all these things are not just an investment in prosperity but just as important they are an investment in a fresh new culture of good neighbourliness and friendship and a network of shared endeavour, shared success which will radically alter the future of Warrenpoint, Burren and Rostrevor.
This has always been a prosperous area. Rostrevor once had more hotels per capita than Dublin catering for its considerable tourist industry. The history of Warrenpoint is also of a tourist Mecca, a bustling commercial town and a busy port. As a region this place had strengths which allowed it to survive better than many others the worst ravages of the troubles and to position itself to capitalise quickly on these new times. The cross border connections at every level have always been strong and now they have, for the first time the active support and encouragement of three governments and the overwhelming majority of the people who share this island.
This is a time when we look to local entrepreneurs for leadership, imagination, courage and determination. You are the business champions of this area, the people who know how to get things moving. For so many years it was difficult to get traction but now the momentum is building up and if ever there was a right time to take responsibility for the future of this area, to plan it, to lobby for it, to reimagine it as the place that will be the best showcase of this remarkable new, historic era, then now is that time.
God endowed this region with a natural beauty that is virtually unsurpassed. He also endowed it with more than its fair share of good people. Chambers of Commerce are largely driven by volunteers, by busy people who pool their experience and their ambition so that they become a community resource and a force for change. You are lucky to have people who love this area so much that they want it to shine, to soar, to be the best. I thank the President, Frank O’Hare along with the rest of the team: Jay Caulfield, Conor McGivern, Paul Braham and Ellen Matthews. Those who live here have a sacred stewardship of the beauty of this place. Those who live in this moment have a sacred stewardship for the future we will craft out of this miraculous peace. For this region, for Warrenpoint, for Burren, for Rostrevor, we can say with certainty that with your help, the best is yet to come.
Ten years ago when I was elected I took as my motto, building bridges. They were bridges of handshakes, bridges between strangers and enemies, bridges of dreams. It has been heartening to see how many bridges of the heart have been built by so many courageous people. They were the light in so much darkness and they built the bridge to peace one human heart at a time. Now through them we have the respectful access to one another that history denied us and that in turn denied us peace of mind. They became the bridge to the future. Someday perhaps, part of that future, that living, vibrant, solid, happy future will take us across a bridge of steel and brick, linking both sides of our magnificent Carlingford Lough and opening its natural beauty up to a new generation, growing strong, prosperous and confident in the most remarkable times Ireland has ever known.