REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MARY McALEESE AT THE FAMILY DAY RECEPTION ÁRAS AN UACHTARÁIN
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MARY McALEESE AT THE FAMILY DAY RECEPTION ÁRAS AN UACHTARÁIN SUNDAY 30TH MAY, 1999
Is cúis mhór áthais dom fáilte a chur romhaibh go léir chuig Áras an Uachtaráin.
I’d like to welcome everybody here this Sunday afternoon to Áras an Uachtaráin – to this ‘Park Picnic’ for families from all over the country. You know, of course that you are all here because somebody – a child, a friend or a relative – has written to tell me how much you would like to spend an afternoon at the Áras – and to see some of what really is a marvelous place to live and work. I have no doubt that many of the writers of those letters are with us today – so you really have them to thank for your being at the Áras this afternoon.
It is a fun afternoon – and we are delighted to have a whole host of entertainers with us – in the front hall on your way in, you heard Áine Ní Dhubhghaill and her friends; just now we had some guests from the Russian Ballet Academy. Later on we’ll have the Glasnevin Musical Society and the Ardee Concert Band will be playing in the garden. So before we go any further, I’d like you to give them a special and warm round of applause.
Later on, I’m looking forward to meeting each of you individually – when I go to each of your tables. Afterwards, you can stroll into the house to see the formal rooms and to get an appreciation for what this house means to all of us. I know that for me, the house is a symbol of the history of this island – and its relationships with our neighbour, Britain. It tells its own fascinating story – a story that spans several centuries – and which is preserved to this day in its art and architecture – it is not just a home – it is a place for all traditions and cultures on this island to share. Today, I am delighted to share it with you.
After all, sharing, getting on with one another, helping each other out – that is what families are all about. I grew up in a family of nine brothers and sisters, so I know how hard it is to get along with everyone all of the time. But in the end, it is your family – your mother and father, brothers and sisters, grandparents and cousins – who can be relied on when things get tough. Today, families come in all shapes and sizes, but they are still the place where we learn that each of us is unique and irreplaceable, where we learn what it is to love and be loved, where we learn to fight our earliest battles and to celebrate our successes. It is not always easy to appreciate our parents when we are young, when they make us do our homework, clean our room, help with the housework – but they do so much for us too, things that we often don’t appreciate until we have grown up and become parents ourselves. So I hope today will be a day when all of you say a special thank you to your parents and give them some of the applause they deserve. Every family has its special days, special memories. I hope today will be one of those for you.
Most of all, I hope that everyone has a wonderful time here this afternoon – that you relax and enjoy yourselves and take this opportunity to meet other families. I’m delighted that you could come.