REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE LAUNCH OF THE SEA ANGLING BOAT “DUANAÍ MARA” CREEVY
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE LAUNCH OF THE SEA ANGLING BOAT “DUANAÍ MARA” CREEVY, CO. DONEGAL SATURDAY, 31ST JULY 1999
Tá lúcháir mhór orm bheith anseo i bhur measc inniu chun an bhád seo, an ‘Duanaí Mara’, a chur chun farraige. Ba mhaith liom mo bhúiochas a chur in iúl díbh as an chuireadh agus as fáilte a bhí caoin, cneasta agus cróiúil.
I am delighted to be with you today to celebrate this milestone in the regeneration of Creevy. I would like to thank my old friend Seamus Goan for inviting me to share in this celebration of the wonderful community spirit and energy which has brought this project to fruition.
“Duanaí Mara” herself symbolises in a very special way the spirit of hope, enterprise and commitment which has inspired the Coop and people of Creevy in the last few years. You have looked outwards and beyond landfall to our rich marine resources and created a sustainable future from that great natural resource.
Your vision of what the sea can give to this community is all the more impressive because of the tragedy and difficulty which the ocean has caused in past times for Creevy. Like so many other communities in Donegal, you have experienced and suffered from the harshness of the sea. But our marine resources and the coastal and island communities they have nourished, are also the lifeblood of Donegal. The sea has influenced who you are as a people, and your achievements show very vividly how that rich potential can be harnessed for the well-being of communities like Creevy.
The Creevy experience is truly, in the words of the poet Derek Mahon, “a redemptive enterprise”. I am particularly impressed by the way in which the Coop, led by Molly Reynolds and so many others, not only created a radical vision but also followed up with the practical steps required to make it a reality. Your commitment has been rightly acknowledged through the innovations Award from LEADER. It has also brought its own reward with the tangible economic benefits of sustainable tourism. This is indigenous enterprise at its best, a model of excellence for other coastal communities and a credit to all concerned.
Partnership is often the key to success in projects of this kind. I know that FÁS, the Donegal Local Development Company and LEADER have all provided assistance in bringing us to this point.
But in the end, it is the people of Creevy who deserve our warmest congratulations.
The “Duanaí Mara” symbolises Creevy’s collective ownership of its own future. This state of art investment exemplifies your confidence and your commitment to making things happen together. You are the ‘doers’ who do not stand on the sidelines waiting for things to happen, waiting for others to show the way. You have taken charge of your own lives, your own destiny and you deserve great credit for doing so. I have no doubt that you will go on from here to tackle new challenges and create more opportunities taking the Creevy experience to even greater heights of achievement, in the coming years.
I congratulate all of you and wish you every success in your future endeavours.
Guím mo bheannacht ar an ‘Duanaí Mara’ agus ar an uile dhuine a bheas ar farraige inti. Go dtuga Dia i gcónaí slán abhaile iad.