REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE GALA CELEBRATION OF THE REOPENING OF CORK OPERA HOUSE
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE GALA CELEBRATION OF THE REOPENING OF CORK OPERA HOUSE WEDNESDAY, 10 JUNE 2009
Dia dhíbh a dhaoine uaisle. Tá an-áthas orm bheith i bhur measc anseo ar an ócáid speisialta seo. Míle bhuíochas díbh as an gcuireadh agus an fáilte a thug sibh dom.
Good evening everyone. It is a great pleasure to be here with you today enjoying the wonderful atmosphere and ambience of this beautifully restored and renovated Opera House. My thanks to Cllr Damian Wallace, Chair of the Opera House Board, for the kind invitation to share this lovely occasion with you all.
This magnificent building and its predecessor have been at the heart of Cork’s cultural life for over a century and a half and, although it has been through many incarnations since it was first built as an exhibition hall 154 years ago, the Opera House has held pride of place in the hearts of Cork people. Generations of Corkonians have turned to it to find entertainment, escape and inspiration. From Sir John Benson’s original building to the new opera house - opened in 1965, by my predecessor, Éamon de Valera - Cork Opera House has served the people of Cork so very well throughout all its years.
Oscar Wilde once said that “The stage is not merely the meeting place of all the arts, but is also the return of art to life”. And from its foundation, the Cork Opera House has been implicated in the cultural life and artistic vibrancy of the city. It has enriched the lives of so many people through a combination of entertainment and education and it has had a loyal following in Cork audiences through many a generation. It has been a terrific showcase of the very best of local and international talent and now the Opera House itself is a showcase of the craftsmanship and care of this generation which took its refurbishment in hand and did such a spectacularly good job.
Michael Collins, that legendary Corkonian and Irishman who is celebrated in your fabulous musical production, once said “Our civilisation will be glorious or the reverse, according to the character of the people. And the work we produce will be the expression of what we are”. Challenging words and Cork rose to the challenge with a spirit and a character, a generosity and imagination, a love for the past and a faith in the future all of which are evident in this place tonight. The Cork Opera House has been a work of love for Cork people for 154 years and those who have worked so hard for this reopening should know from all of us how much we appreciate their investment in Cork and in our country. This night we can see clearly just how much they have accomplished so to executive director, Gerry Barnes, his team and to every single person that has contributed to this new chapter in the long life of Cork Opera House, a big thank-you and well done. Enjoy the evening.
Comhghairdeas libh arís ‘s go n-éirí go geal libh sna blianta ata romhainn. Go raibh míle maith agaibh.