Remarks by President McAleese to Banbridge Community Groups Banbridge District Council Rooms
Remarks by President McAleese to Banbridge Community Groups Banbridge District Council Rooms Monday, 28 January 2008
Good afternoon, and thank you very much for the invitation to join you here this afternoon. Thank you also for the overview you’ve just given of the work you perform in the community. Although I’m sure that it captures only the thinnest slice of all that you do, I was absolutely thrilled by what I saw, for it speaks of a community that at its heart is vibrant, is caring, is thoughtful - both for one another and about its future - and is fundamentally healthy. In short, it contains the key to Banbridge’s past success and its future prosperity.
You contribute so much to the fundamentals of life in Banbridge and the surrounding area. Every aspect of life here is represented: youth and elder groups, sports, women’s groups, education, business, regeneration, arts, health and accessibility. The diversity of the groups represented, and the constituencies you serve, demonstrates a real care - a passion - for the well-being not just of individuals, but of the community.
Every day in an infinite number of different ways - some small, some large - good people do good things, make good decisions and plan good things that build up the civic fabric of Banbridge. They invest in themselves, their families, their workplaces and their communities to allow the very best of human potential, however occluded it may be by personal circumstance or disability, to shine. Each group represented here has a hundred different stories to tell of lives changed, circumstances altered and community re-generated. But you don’t work to tell that story, and you certainly don’t do it for personal reward; therein lies the nobility of your endeavour. Behind each personal story of motivation lies a resolve, backed up by a determined action, that the world you leave will be a better place than the one you found.
The growing prosperity that has accompanied our much-longed-for peace, gives us much to celebrate, but we must also guard against a diminution in the simple courtesy that makes Northern Ireland such a safe and comfortable home. By the way you give of your time, your efforts and your skill, you remind us of the best values, the timeless things that build us up humanly, that take the coarseness out of life’s texture and make us proud of the noble aspect of the human condition. Thank you for giving me, in today’s showcase, a glimpse of your commitment, and an encouraging sign of the promise held by our shared future.
The electrifying promise of that future permeates all of political life on this island. On 8 May last, shared devolved government returned to centre stage. It is supported by, and represents, both communities. The iconic image of 2007 has to be that of the First and Deputy First Ministers working respectfully together, giving the leadership that is nurturing a new culture of partnership and friendship. Our journey to this place has been arduous and the cost has been high. It has taken a lot of courage in a lot of places and I commend all of you working here in the community for what you have done to cultivate and to sustain this hard-earned opportunity for a better future.
As we embark together on this miraculous journey, your neighbours south of the border are willing you on to great success. The Irish Government is deeply committed to supporting the economic growth of Northern Ireland in the most practical ways. The Irish Government is investing £400 million in Northern Ireland’s roads infrastructure. Energy, healthcare, trade, tourism, education are also being developed so that our enormous potential, stymied by conflict and mistrust, can finally reveal itself.
I’m here at the beginning of a new year, at a time when expectations have never been higher for Northern Ireland. We still have difficult mountains to climb, as we seek to come to terms with the pain and waste resulting from the conflict, but with the developing spirit of engagement, a future rooted in peace, prosperity and good neighbourliness lies for the first time within reach.
Banbridge’s historical contribution to cultural and scientific life, through Walton, Yeats and others, gives a microcosmic example of the potential that stands to be unlocked by peace in Northern Ireland. As young people stay and apply their skills and talents, as the best educated, most problem-solving generation focuses its attention on its future, Northern Ireland stands on the cusp of a transformation. Our children and their yet-unlived lives challenge us to build a home where all feel safe, respected and proud. What was once a naïve hope is today a burning reality.
It is a long, long time since the soil you till has been as fertile as it is today. I wish you every success in your vital work, and await, with eager anticipation, news of all that you’ve accomplished in the course of the coming year.