REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE PRESENTATION OF CERTIFICATES ON BEHALF OF DUBLIN BUS
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE PRESENTATION OF CERTIFICATES ON BEHALF OF THE DUBLIN BUS COMMUNITY SUPPORT PROGRAMME
Dia dhíbh go léir. Is ocáid an-speisialta é seo agus tá an-áthas orm bheith anseo tráthnóna agus í a cheiliúradh libh.
Good afternoon everyone. My thanks to Dublin Bus for inviting me to celebrate this very special occasion with you all today – my thanks also to you for that warm and generous greeting.
Today is one of those special days that I enjoy so much. For today is about formally recognising the great efforts of so many people in this city and surrounding counties to make our communities and our country a better place to live in. They may not think of what they do as of great importance or life-changing – indeed the projects and activities may seem small – but what they do tell is a very important story. Through their involvement in their communities, they show that they care, they show that they are prepared to reach out to others, to make things better for others rather than to leave it to others.
One of the most heart-warming and pleasant aspects of being President is seeing the sheer magnitude of what these people achieve through voluntary effort, their resolve, their ‘can-do’ attitude which inevitably evolves into a ‘will do’ determination – a resolve that will see them through no matter what obstacles are encountered along the way. None of it is done for thanks or praise or recognition rather it is done out of simple human caring and concern for one another. It is done by people like those we acknowledge today – that army of selfless ambassadors for everything that is humanly decent and generous about Irish people. They make the heart of this country beat and they keep the heart soft. What you all share is a wisdom about what the community needs and a deep desire to meet those needs. I heard it put very well a while back when someone said to me that there are two types of people – drains and radiators and I wasn’t attending a plumbing conference. The “drains” sit around giving out about all the things that are wrong, the ‘radiators’ get out there and fix them, make things happen.
Today I am most definitely among “radiators” – those remarkable people who have harnessed their combined strength and imagination to find solutions to problems, to create a better world for young, middle-aged and old. “Ní neart gur chur le chéile” as the old Irish proverb rightly says - we only begin to realize our true strength when we work with others towards a common goal.
That these people and organizations are being recognized in this public way today is thanks to Dublin Bus which this year established the Community Support Programme. Its success is evidenced by the 400 applications received in its first year, of which 140 organisations and groups are to receive support. We are grateful to Dublin Bus for yet again proving your support for communities far beyond the essential public services you provide daily. And haven’t we come a long way from the days of the first bus service in this city dating back some 85 years to 1919. It was inaugurated by the Clondalkin Omnibus Company using a wooden body from a horse-drawn vehicle – no City Swift or QBC’s in those days! Some years later, WB Yeats’ father recounted that when he was on the top of an old open top omnibus and another passed he felt the urge to jump from one to the other. Presumably that is why they now all have roofs. We owe it all to him.
To the successful applicants today, I congratulate you and wish you well in everything you do to improve life in your communities. The range of activities you are engaged in is vast - it embraces all the complex elements of our lives whether bringing comfort to the sick, support to the elderly, guidance to the young, hope to drug addicts and their families – from sport to education to the environment - whatever it takes to make life healthier, happier, more decent, more fulfilled - you are doing it. No government or law can create community. We create that ourselves by making good neighbours of strangers, by doing all the things you do to bind us together, to get the best from us and to show us the power of partnership. I hope that in today’s public recognition you not only take righteous pride but heart. What you do matters - it makes the difference between enjoying and enduring life. We congratulate you and commend you and wish you every continued success in all you do.
Comhghairdeas libh go léir inniu. Go n-eirí go geal libh. Go raibh maith agaibh.