REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT COMMUNITY EVENT SHARE BROTHER JEROME CENTRE, CORK
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT COMMUNITY EVENT SHARE BROTHER JEROME CENTRE, CORK MONDAY, 21 DECEMBER 2009
Dia dhíbh a chairde, míle bhuíochas díbh as an fáilte a thug sibh dom. It’s good to be back in Cork, although sad to be here under such challenging circumstances. It is distressing to see how so many homes, businesses and community facilities have been so badly damaged. But what shines brightly in the midst of these tough times is the heroic effort made by so many people not just in the immediate crisis period but still continuing, out of the glare of the media spotlight, today. As I have witnessed here this morning, the work is not lacking, but neither are the hands willing to do that work and many shoulders continue to be put to many wheels across Cork city and county. In coming here today, I in no way want to interrupt the ongoing efforts but would like to express my solidarity with all those who have been affected and my thanks and admiration to all those who are continuing to work tirelessly to mop up, quite literally, the effects of the flooding.
The Cork experience was somewhat unique, as the largest urban centre affected by the floods. As well as homes and businesses, a host of community facilities such as the Mercy Hospital and UCC buildings were impacted too. Even those whose homes and premises escaped the flood waters found themselves living without running water. But looking at the reaction to the flooding gives a picture of the vibrant, caring community life that exists within Cork. The response of everyone concerned, whether as a professional or a volunteer or someone directly affected, has been a shining example of the Irish tradition of the meitheal, everyone rolling up their sleeves and working together in partnership for the common good. All over the city and county, the response was genuine, spontaneous, generous and rapid.
For me, some of the most illustrative and positive stories of the flooding experience come from the remarkable, instant, no-hesitation problem solving. Local hotels opened their doors and welcomed those whose homes no longer had safe water supplies. When the Meals on Wheels service had its kitchens flooded, Jury’s Hotel stepped into the breech preparing the food in the hotel’s own kitchens and the Army were on hand to transport the prepared meals to the dispatch points from there. That venerable Cork institution, the Penny Dinners charity, received financial and practical help from the Saint Vincent de Paul to help restore its kitchens so that it could continue providing meals for those most in need, like it has done for over a century. These are just a few of the thousand and one stories of problem-solving, imagination and collaboration that happened throughout Cork. And this is not to mention the massive and sustained effort of all the statutory agencies and emergency services, including the City and County Council, An Garda Síochana, the Army, the Navy, the Civil Defence, the Fire Service, the HSE and countless others who played their role in guaranteeing the safety and wellbeing of all those affected by the floods and their consequences. I would also like to thank the local and national media for relaying vital information such as road closures, dangerous bridges, public health warnings and clean water delivery points promptly and accurately. And of course there are all the unreported, quiet acts of neighbourliness and care that ensured that vulnerable people were not left isolated or forgotten about.
For families, for business people, for workers, for the elderly, for the sick, for the vulnerable, this has been a difficult, upsetting and exhausting period. At a normally joyous time of year, the focus has shifted from decorating the tree to filling in insurance claim forms and I call on insurance companies to deal with the claims fairly and rapidly. Now that the waters have subsided, the people of Cork are on the first steps of what will be a long, sometimes tiring journey to clean-up and repair. But thankfully, the structures and the resources and the enthusiasm and energy are all there to help you. I am delighted to see that in many areas, the city is already ‘open for business’. I am confident that the sustained effort of so many in this community will enable the city and county to get back on its feet and, in the immediate term, enjoy as peaceful and comfortable a Christmas as possible. I wish you all the very best for the recovery effort and all the blessings of the festive season.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.