Remarks by President McAleese at the Opening of the O’Carolan Harp, Cultural & Heritage Festival
Keadue, Co. Roscommon, Sunday, 31st July, 2011
A dhaoine uaisle, is a chairde liom, tá an-áthas orm a bheith in bhur gcuideachta ag an ócáid speisialta seo, in Céideadh, Contae Ros Comáin
The O’Carolan Harp, Cultural and Heritage Festival is synonymous with Keadue and so is the man who invited me here Paraic Noone.
In Kilronan graveyard just out the road lies the body of Turlough O’Carolan, the blind harpist and composer whose genius still enthralls us three hundred years after he travelled the roads around us. On a State visit to New Zealand a few years ago I saw the impact O’Carolan’s work had on Maori leaders who had never heard it before when Iarlaith O’Lionard sang the exquisitely beautiful Eleanor Plunkett. O’Carolan drew his inspiration from Ireland’s deep wells of musical and poetic heritage and he drew too from the best of contemporary European composition. With his unique imprint and with great interpreters of his music in every generation it is no wonder that we gather in his name today for we know that his work stays ever fresh, exciting and inspirational.
He inspires a great team here to do the hard work needed to run a Festival in a quiet rural area and to make it a centre of national and international excellence that draws so many enthusiastic visitors. They come knowing their days here will be memorable for the fun, the friendship, the welcome and the easy access to the very best of Irish culture and heritage, the very best of community life.
Ireland is unique in having a musical instrument, the harp, as our official symbol. This festival has a special place of honour for our ancient harp music and in these tough economic times maybe there is courage and confidence to be gained from the story of O’Carolan who lost his sight as a teenager, turned to learning the harp and made of his disability the bridge to new abilities, skills and a new future. Far from giving in to that despair O’Carolan gave us the gift of beautiful music to brighten and lighten our lives in the 21st century Ireland and the gift of embracing life no matter how hard the struggle.
Like O’Carolan, we are not a people to be defeated by adversity. Rather we are a people of imagination, adaptability and creativity. Helen Keller, when asked if there was anything worse in life than losing one’s sight replied ‘yes, losing one’s vision.’ This tiny village of Keadue can teach us a lot about having a vision. It has a national reputation for its success in the Tidy Towns and an international reputation for its Festival. These things happen because people made them happen through sheer determination. So today in Keadue let the Festival makers help us to lift and lighten our worries and cares.
This Festival is about fun, friendship, music and laughter. I congratulate everyone involved with this wonderful occasion, the organisers, the participants, the sponsors, the supporters and everyone whose joy in culture, heritage, music and company has given us a festival to enjoy and to be proud of.
It is with great pleasure that I hereby announce the O’Carolan Harp, Cultural & Heritage festival open.
Go raibh maith agaibh go leir.