REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE ANNUAL CAMOGIE ALL STARS PRESENTATION AND DINNER CITYWEST HOTEL
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE ANNUAL CAMOGIE ALL STARS PRESENTATION AND DINNER CITYWEST HOTEL SATURDAY, 6TH NOVEMBER 2011
Dia dhíbh a chairde and thank you for that warm welcome to this glittering event when our most outstanding camogie players are celebrated as the nominees and recipients of the 2010 Camogie All Star Awards. My thanks to Uachtarán, Siobhán Ní Fhloinn, for her kind invitation for although camogie was my own beloved sport my skills would never have brought me to a night like this. One of the rewards of being President is to be allowed to participate in this evening of honour and glory with the best of the best. It’s a festive occasion full of glamour, fashion and style - a far cry from the winter training sessions, the mud and rain, the pain, the play, the winning and losing. For another season you the nominees and your colleagues all over Ireland have displayed a fidelity to gaelic games and a determination to showcase camogie at its absolute best. No-one arrives here as an All Star nominee by luck or chance. We have been witnesses to the athleticism and skill which are the result of sheer sustained effort. You have thrilled, entertained and inspired - not for money or thanks or even personal recognition but for club, county and country, for the roar of the crowd, for the love of a great and noble game.
The final whistle has blown on this season and now the excitement of the All Stars rounds off a fantastic year during which the passion we have for Gaelic games and the profound role they play in our civic life, stood like an unshakeable beacon of pride and hope through tough economic times. The self-respect, confidence and pride generated by these amateur games come out of your efforts. You stand for a goodness and generosity of spirit evoked so brilliantly in the great stirring commentaries of Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh who none of us believe is truly retiring.
It has been a very special year for Irish women’s sport with Katie Taylor in boxing, Derval O’Rourke in athletics, Gráinne Murphy in swimming, Katie Walsh in horse racing and the under-17 Irish soccer team all putting us on the map internationally. Their example provides encouragement to the coming generation just as yours does on the camogie field. Without you, the baton drops, with you thousands of girls know the joy of sport, the fun, the friendships, the coping with failure, the joy of a win, the respect for the talents of others, the gratitude for Cumann Camógaíochta na nGael, managers, coaches, mentors, sponsors, supporters and the quiet volunteers who do the work that keeps gaelic games vibrant and growing. They won’t be on this stage tonight but their delight is in seeing you do well. Your success is a vindication of their investment. It keeps them going during the lean times.
There were no lean times in Wexford and Galway this year and naturally the All Ireland contenders dominate the nominations with eleven each. But it is wonderful to see that though last year’s champions Cork have nine and National League finalists Kilkenny have eight, in fact every county that competed in this year’s Senior Camogie Championships has received nominations and that reflects the increasing standard of excellence within the game.
On behalf of all here and all those who enjoyed camogie in 2010 I congratulate tonight’s Award winners and nominees. We are fortunate to have such wonderful role-models and champions of such a great game. The road to Citywest was long and fraught so enjoy every moment of it. I wish you all well for the future and hope you all have a wonderful night.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.