REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE LAUNCH OF THE GAA SOCIAL INITIATIVE, CROKE PARK
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE LAUNCH OF THE GAA SOCIAL INITIATIVE, CROKE PARK THURSDAY, 26 FEBRUARY 2009
Dia dhíbh a chairde. 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 afternoon everyone and thank you for that warm welcome. I am delighted to be in Croke Park for the launch of this GAA Social Initiative. My thanks in particular to Nickey Brennan for his kind invitation to inaugurate what is a wonderful new project for the GAA and a huge thank you to all the other organisations who have so generously joined with the GAA to support and develop this idea.
The GAA is both a local and a national phenomenon. It is a volunteer organisation without equal anywhere in the world and what has kept it strong these past 125 years is the fact that it is wholly of the people, for the people and close to the people. So it was no surprise to me that when we started to ask how we could, as a society, fill the gap through which some older men are falling, the GAA immediately volunteered to lead the way in finding ways to engage those whom Dr. Mick Loftus memorably describes as “fellas that never leave their houses”. We know there are some who are content never to leave the house but we also know there are many who, for one reason or another, have lost the threads of regular and meaningful social contact and who would welcome the chance to revive their social lives again in ways that they would enjoy.
At a forum on Older Men at Áras an Uachtaráin we heard their voices tell us about the problems and the solutions. They spoke of lives that changed for them once they retired from work, or when their spouses or pals died, or when as one man put it, “the half-door closed” and with it the rural traditions of rambling or ceilidhing in each others homes. Changing patterns of lives and lifestyles, from rural depopulation to rural transport issues, changes in pub culture, the hectic pressures of modern life, have all to some extent taken a toll and for some men it has been a process of drifting from the company and companionship of earlier years to the solitariness of their own company in later life. Most of us flourish in a community where we can make our contribution to the vitality of local life and where we can enjoy the craic of a good evening’s fun and entertainment, the chat with neighbours, the making of friends, the interaction and involvement with life beyond our own front door.
This initiative by the GAA will try to break through some of the barriers that keep that front door closed. It is about creating a path to that door that is respectful of the dignity of the person, that is sensitive to their concerns and fears, that is careful of their pride and independence and caring in listening to what it is they want, what it is they would like.
That is why the GAA are wisely launching a pilot programme today, a programme that will make a careful start to this journey. The GAA Social Initiative pilot will be underpinned by solid principles of deep respect for those it aims to reach out to in a friendly and meaningful way.
It will be an approach which builds on the GAA’s strong leadership in the community and no organisation has a better grasp of community or better local, social structures throughout the country. But the initiative will also draw on the GAA’s ability to connect to the strengths of other organisations and initiatives on the ground, engaging church and parish organisations, farmers and rural associations and complementing their efforts in a huge network of endeavour. Offers of support have come flooding in from many voluntary and statutory organisations including the Gardaí, Muintir na Tíre, Macra na Feirme and the steering committee is made up of hugely supportive organisations such as the Senior Help Line, the Third Age Foundation, the South Kerry Partnership and the IFA. The issues involved have been given a very good airing in the media also, and our particular thanks in that regard to Derek Mooney and his show and to Damien O’Reilly on Farmweek, both on RTÉ Radio One.
What the GAA is offering is a heartfelt and personal invitation that will, over time, lead to greater participation by otherwise isolated older men and sustained friendship and support. But it is a two-way street for our older men have years of experience, wisdom, skills, stories and talent to share. At this anxious moment in our country’s history when our young people face difficulties they had never contemplated having to face, the older men who faced, and faced down, tough times have much to offer by way of reassurance and encouragement. This initiative will showcase the respect we have for them and the desire we have to see them living life to the fullest that we can help make possible between us all.
The pilot phase of this initiative will cover the four corners of the country. My special thanks to Tony Dempsey in Wexford, John Pierse of South Kerry Partnership, Peter Carty in Fermanagh and the legendary Dr Mick Loftus in Mayo for their enthusiasm in organising pilot programmes for their areas. To the project leader who will carry it through, Moira Graham, every success.
I have huge faith in the ability of the GAA to deliver this initiative and in the generosity of the Irish people in supporting it. There is no better organisation to run with a ball and convert it into points on the board. It is truly an idea whose time has come, an idea that has caught people’s imagination and it is fitting that it is to be launched in the 125th anniversary year of the GAA. I wish you every success for a successful pilot and look forward to seeing the programme operating countrywide.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.