REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT A GARDEN PARTY HELD TO MARK THE 125TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GAA
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT A GARDEN PARTY HELD TO MARK THE 125TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GAELIC ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
Dia dhíbh go léir, agus céad míle fáilte chuig Áras an Uachtaráin inniu.
Good afternoon and welcome to this special day of celebration to mark 125 years of Cumann Lúthchleas Gael. Many of you have togged out behind a hedge on a wet winter’s day and anyone who has ever been a spectator at Clones is no stranger to a bit of rain, so as a group we have all plenty of experience of enjoying ourselves no matter what the weather is doing.
This is a big group for the Áras but just a small representative sample of the hundreds of thousands of GAA members past and present who grew this great national sporting organisation into the most successful amateur sporting organisation anywhere in the world. Your hearth is the magnificent stadium that is Croke Park but your heartland is anywhere in the world where Gaels gather to puck a sliothar or kick a ball. From Derry to Dingle, from Dublin to Dubai, from San Francisco to Hong Kong day after day, week after week, an army of volunteers cares for this organisation and keeps it full of effort and imagination. In parishes, townlands, villages, suburbs and cities there is nothing to match it and nothing that comes close to matching the GAA. That it remains an unapologetic amateur organisation rooted deeply in the local, national and international life of the Irish family at home and abroad, is its enduring strength.
This organisation has given to millions memories to last not just one lifetime but many. It has created opportunities, seeded ambition, honed skill, galvanised the individual, harnessed the team. It has brought days of massive pride and occasional broken hearts to the parish, the club, the school, the county, the province and the country. Such a debt as we owe to the GAA could never be repaid but today we gather to say a heartfelt thank-you.
It would be impossible to name all the great GAA leaders on and off the field of play who have earned our respect and gratitude. They are legion and they are legendary. Martin has hinted that I should make an exception and mention the great Antrim players of the past but actually our sights are on the great Antrim players of the present. I do however want to make a special mention of the Artane Band, who are here with us today. They are synonymous with the GAA and especially with those wonderful All Ireland Days in Croke Park. They are about to embark on a major tour of the United States and I would like to wish them the very best of luck, safe travel and have a great time.
As you look around the room there may be many old friends and familiar faces, so enjoy the company, the craic, the caint and the ceol. The winners and competitors of Scór have been showcasing their talent and we’ll hear more from them shortly.
On your behalf and on that of Martin and myself, thank you to the wonderful Áras staff, the entertainers, Civil Defence, the Gardaí, the Tour Guides and everybody who has helped to make the day very special. But most of all, thanks to you for being with us.
Have a great afternoon, and return home safely.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.