OFFICIAL OPENING OF NEW PREMISES FOR KILDARE CREDIT UNION KILDARE, WEDNESDAY, 14TH JUNE 2000
OFFICIAL OPENING OF NEW PREMISES FOR KILDARE CREDIT UNION KILDARE, WEDNESDAY, 14TH JUNE 2000
Tá mé thar a bheith sásta bheith anseo libh inniu agus ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a chur in iúl díbh as an chaoin-chuireadh agus as fáilte fíorchaoin.
It is a great pleasure to join you here today for the official opening of these new premises. I would like to say a special thank you to Jim Rea, the Chairperson of Kildare Credit Union – who of course was formerly an Aide de Camp in Áras an Uachtaráin - for the very welcome invitation. It seems that there’s a Credit Union chromosome in Jim’s family, seeing that it was his father, the late Colonel William Rea, who was a founder member and first President of the Kildare Branch, and I know that the next generation of the family is already involved.
It comes as no surprise to hear that this credit union has such strong army connections, with no fewer than five of the current Board of Directors being either former or serving members of the Defence Forces. After all, Kildare itself is rightly proud of its history as a military town, and the very strong bonds of community and comradeship that characterise the Defence Forces, are also the hallmark of the Credit Union movement.
It’s now over forty years since the first Credit Union was established in Ireland, and over thirty years since the Kildare Branch was set up. Ireland has changed enormously in those intervening years – we have grown in prosperity and confidence, we are a more diverse and outward looking people. But there is no doubt that the need for Credit Unions is as strong as ever. The Credit Union has always been a place where people are treated with dignity and respect, where the person comes before the profit line. For so many families, it was the Credit Union which enabled the communion clothes to be bought, special occasions to be celebrated, the ancient car to be finally retired. Examine the loan book of any credit union in the country, and it will tell you the story of that community: the baptisms, weddings and funerals that were paid for, the emigration fares it financed, the good and the sad times. It is a story of neighbour helping neighbour, of decency and generosity, a story that is worth the telling in these days where we hear so much of greed and selfishness. I know that the Credit Union movement is changing to meet new needs and a new legislative framework, but I am sure it will always stick by those principles of equality, mutual help and social responsibility that have served it so well in the past.
We owe a great debt of gratitude to the countless members and volunteers who have devoted so much time and energy down through the years to making Kildare Credit Union such a success – people like Chrisy Kelly, a founder member, who served the Credit Union for 29 years up until 1996 and who I believe is here with us today. Your hard work has so often made the difference between despair and hope to many a family. I know that a special word of thanks is also due to Kathleen Foley, who has been Office Manager here for the past 20 years and who has been the backbone of the organisation during that time.
There is something appropriate about the fact that in building these new offices, you unearthed a number of interesting archaeological findings which have been preserved and put on display by means of a glass viewing floor. It is a good metaphor for how it is possible to respect our heritage and traditions, while at the same time building on them to achieve something new and original. I congratulate all those involved in the building committee and project team. And speaking of the new, I believe that you celebrated the birth of Caroline Ann McGarr, the first baby born in Ireland in the new Millennium, by presenting her with an account at the Credit Union here. Well, they say there’s no harm in starting them young and I wish Caroline Ann – who is with us today with her mother Antoinette - many years of happy membership.
I would like to congratulate you all once again on this wonderful new premises, and I wish Kildare Credit Union many more years of success.
Go maire sibh. Go raibh maith agaibh.