REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT OF IRELAND, MARY McALEESE AT CHICAGO GAELIC PARK, SUNDAY 4TH MAY 2003
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT OF IRELAND, MARY McALEESE AT CHICAGO GAELIC PARK, SUNDAY 4TH MAY 2003
Dia dhíbh a chairde. Tá an-áthas orm bheith i bhur measc tráthnóna. Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil libh as ucht an cuireadh agus an fáilte a thug sibh dom.
Mr. Griffin.
Distinguished guests.
Thank you for inviting me to visit Chicago Gaelic Park this afternoon and for your warm and generous welcome to Martin and I. I arrived here by Government jet, a far cry from the emigrant ships of old. I came from a modern, affluent and successful Ireland a far cry from the poverty and famine which drove so many of those emigrants to seek a new life here on the shores of Lake Michigan. But it is the emigrant story, which makes us kin, binds us as family to one another and it is wonderful to see the emigrant ship, the symbol of Gaelic Park accorded such respect here.
Those early emigrants came with little in their pockets but their most important luggage was in their heads and hearts. They carried the music of the Gael, the dance, the poetry, the stories, the football, the hurling, the intense fidelity to family, the deep commitment to community, the responsibility of care for one another, the love of fun, the ability to transcend adversity with laughter and camaraderie.
These buildings and the fine sports fields were built with that luggage. In the bricks and mortar is infused the spirit of the Gael and it is that spirit that brings people here, it is that spirit that keeps Ireland and Chicago growing in friendship and kinship from one generation to the next.
Our Gaelic Games hold an utterly unique place in the hearts and minds of Irish people no matter where in the world we find ourselves. Where two or more are gathered there will be the prospect of a lively discussion on the bizarre conduct of referees and the chances of a ticket for Croke Park in September. Last September I attended the finals of a very important showcase of Gaelic Games. No they weren’t in Croke Park but at the Asian GAA Games in Phuket, Thailand organised by young Irish people working all over South East Asia. Perhaps we should add an extra ‘G’ to the GAA and call it the Global Gaelic Athletic Association! Last St. Patrick’s Day I visited Australia where one third of the population is Irish and where most of them were wearing their own county GAA jerseys as their badge of identification.
Irish culture was never more confident, never more dynamic - why- because people like you do the work, have the passion, share the love and simply make it happen by sheer hard work.
Every evening, every weekend these rooms come alive with celebrations of all kinds and at their heart is the culture of the Gael. I am only sorry I missed your May festival which I hear attracts over 50,000 people but knowing my love of Gaelic games I suspect it would have taken a writ of habeas corpus to get me on the plane home.
My great-grandmother’s brother PB Flanagan was among the many children of Ireland who took the emigrant ship and made his home here in Chicago. Here he prospered and found the kind of opportunity to make a contribution to civic life which would not have been possible in Ireland. His name and the names of many Irish are woven into the story of Chicago and the Mid-West. Some broke their backs building the canal, which was to transform the fortune of Chicago. Others led that great project and it is a matter of real pride that it was a Kerry man Dr. William B. Egan, who gave the oration on the Fourth of July 1836, when the ground was broken to mark the canal’s commencement, the commencement you could say of Chicago’s future.
As this city prospered its emigrant children prospered too but they never lost the memory of the rich culture of the Gael from which they drew their inspiration, their perspective, their values and their vision. A quarter of a million people took part in the Southside St. Patrick’s Day Parade this year - a powerful showcase of the enduring attraction of Gaelic culture and the legacy of pride bequeathed with great care to successive generations. The Irish in America have come a long way and created a litany of achievement that lifts all our hearts. They have kept faith with an ancient and noble culture. They have freshened and renewed that culture adding to it, developing it and opening it to new audiences. Gaelic Park is a vital part of the story of the Gael and an essential part of its future here in Chicago.
Its existence is a remarkable testament to this community. From humble beginnings in 1985, with the unstinting work of volunteers and the generous support of local businesses, Gaelic Park has grown into a first-rate facility for a whole range of social, sporting and cultural activities. Indeed, it has become a centre of excellence for the entire United States in Gaelic Games and in Irish Dancing. I am delighted particularly to see so many youngsters in Chicago enjoying our national games. I hear that they even play a decent game of hurling which as a former camogie player gives me a particular thrill. Unfortunately my skills, never the best in the first place are too rusty to be of any use on this trip but Martin still kicks the odd ball so maybe there is still a chance for him to star for Antrim in Chicago! On second thoughts maybe not - It would be unfair to lower the standards you have worked so hard to raise.
I congratulate the Board of Directors of Chicago Gaelic Park and all the members and volunteers for their achievement in creating this outstanding venue and facility for the Irish in Chicago. I thank you for your dedication to our Gaelic culture and wish you long years of success.
Mo bhuíochas libh arís as ucht an fáilte a thug sibh dom inniu. Guím rath agus séan ar bhur gcuid oibre san am atá le teacht. Go raibh maith agaibh.