ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT OF IRELAND, MARY ROBINSON AT THE BREAKFAST HOSTED BY BORD FÅILTE/AER LINGUS
ADDRESS HOSTED BY BORD FÅILTE/AER LINGUS BREAKFAST, MELBOURNE, ON FRIDAY, 30 OCTOBER, 1992.
Tá áthas an domhain orm a bheith anseo i gcathair álainn Melbourne chun labhairt libh ar maidin.
Melbourne is renowned throughout the world as a city of outstanding architectural splendour and since my arrival here I have seen at first hand that the city's reputation for architectural excellence is well deserved. I am very proud of the strong connections which the Irish have had with your beautiful city throughout its history, from Hamilton Hume and Richard Bourke to the present day, and of the mark that they have left on almost every facet of life here. That is why I began my speech in Irish, a language once very widely spoken here, when so many thousands of Irish worked in the gold fields of Victoria in the last century.
It is well-known that over a third of convicts sent to Australia were Irish. However, Irish emigrants also constituted an important part of the free settlers who came here and fully 42% of Australians, or almost 7 million people, have some Irish ancestry. At the present time an estimated 300,000 Australians are actively involved in tracing their family origins and, of the 70,000 Australian visitors expected in Ireland this year, about 30% will look into their family's past while there.
For many Australians a greater awareness of their heritage is an important element in defining who they are and their role in the development of this great nation. For those Australians who are of Irish descent, an awareness of their Gaelic heritage can be a cause of great pride, pride in their roots and in the unique culture and traditions which we are so privileged to share. This increasing interest on the part of Irish Australians in their historic past is reflected in Australian universities and other third level institutions, who have been increasingly offering courses in Celtic Studies, which can unlock so much of the meaning of being Irish in Australia, of the significance of Irish Australian surnames and placenames and of the importance of the culture that links them to their homeland.
Interest in family origins and cultural heritage is now a world-wide phenomenon and, it seems to me, one which will continue to grow. For a knowledge of our own past fosters a sense of pride in our forebears' achievements and a deeper understanding of who we are and what we can accomplish. It enables us to face the future in security and to assert ourselves with increased confidence based on a realistic assessment of our strengths and weaknesses.
In Ireland we fully appreciate the importance that people of Irish descent abroad attach to their Irish identity and their desire to learn more about, and experience, the culture from which their ancestors came. We in turn are anxious to learn of the experience of the Irish in so many countries abroad, to celebrate their successes and to acknowledge the distinctive contribution that they have made in those countries where they settled and put down roots. For it is the general experience that the Irish, wherever they settled, participated wholeheartedly in, and greatly influenced the development of, the social, cultural and economic life of their new communities.
The Irish Homecoming Festival is aimed at re-uniting some of the 70 million-strong Irish diaspora on visits to Ireland and has been an outstanding success. I was particularly gratified to see so many Australians visiting Ireland for the festival and meeting Irish and overseas namesakes at clan rallies held throughout the country in the regions from which specific Irish names originate. There were pageants, entertainment and fun, as well as the more serious side of tracing ancestry through genealogical conferences. What a splendid way to combine a memorable and very pleasurable holiday with the more serious business of reinforcing individual family identity and origin!
Ireland and Australia have many links. Irish music and song has formed the basis for much Australian music, particularly its lovely ballad tradition. Aussie Rules football, so popular here in Victoria, has clearly descended from Gaelic football, as the successful compromise rules games in recent years have demonstrated. There is hardly a strand of national life in Ireland or Australia without its counterpart in the other country, and this explains why our people integrate in each other's countries so quickly and so well.
Recent years have witnessed a constant and rapid increase in travel between Australia and Ireland and there is great potential for further development in this area. Apart from the heritage interest Ireland has a much broader appeal for Australians, with its fresh and unpolluted air, magnificent scenery and unspoilt countryside, its rich archaeology older than the pyramids of Egypt, its vast and varied resources in sport and recreational facilities, a population density more Australian than European and a warmth, welcome and friendliness which the Irish share with Australians.
What are the particular attractions of Ireland for all Australians? Largely, I believe, the similarities of character between Australians and the Irish. We both love the outdoors and recreational pursuits, sport of all kinds, equestrian activities and we treasure the gifts of nature and the environment. We share a sense of humour, a taste for egalitarian society and a healthy disregard for stuffiness and stiff and unnecessary formality. We like to cultivate the talent of good conversation and music, song and dancing are an intrinsic part of our lives. Australians are travellers rather than tourists, who like to join the locals and share their lifestyle and pleasures. Ireland, then, is the ideal destination for Australians.
Thanks to the efforts of our Embassy in Canberra, Aer Lingus and Bord Fáilte and the co-operation of Quantas and British Airways, the "fly free" facility to Continental Europe was extended to Ireland, enabling Australians visiting London or other points in Europe to fly to Ireland at no extra cost. This enterprising innovation produced a dramatic growth in visitor numbers, from the 27,000 of 1982 to almost 70,000 in 1990. Great praise is due to all involved in introducing this facility on the initiative they have shown. I would especially like to compliment Bord Fáilte on the fine job they are doing here, particularly their promotion of Ireland as a single destination, in co-operation with the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, assisted by the International Fund for Ireland.
All of you here today represent the various partners in the overall promotion of Irish tourism in Australia. Travel writers and broadcasters representing the most influential publications, radio and television, have found Ireland inspirational and have conveyed their positive findings to readers and audiences. Through your efforts Ireland commands an extremely high profile, which encourages many more Australians to visit us. May I thank you for your past support and assure you, and all Australians through you, of a hearty céad míle fáilte, the traditional Irish hundred thousand welcomes, on your next visit to Ireland.