REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE OFFICAL OPENING OF THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS IRELAND NATIONAL GAME
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE OFFICAL OPENING OF THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS IRELAND NATIONAL GAMES PARNELL PARK
Tá lúcháir mhór orm bheith anseo libh anocht ag an ócáid speisalta seo agus ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a chur in iúl díbh don fáilte fíor agus flaithiúil.
As President I have the privilege of attending many wonderful events that make me feel honoured to play a part in them. Today is one of those very special days. I am delighted to be with you today on this very special and significant occasion.
The 2002 National Games have already set a record - they are the biggest National Games ever, with over 400 athletes from countries throughout Europe joining 1,500 Irish athletes. May I extend a very special and heartfelt “céad mile fáilte” - a hundred thousand welcomes to each and every one of you here - athletes, coaches and families of participants. I hope that the games will bring everything you have hoped for and you will leave with many happy memories of the games, the competition, the camaraderie, the sense of achievement and new friendships made and old ones renewed.
Special Olympics Ireland has a long, distinguished and very proud history. As it has grown and blossomed over the last 23 years so too it has remained true to its ethos of helping and supporting athletes to achieve their very best and in doing so to hold firmly to that most important and inspiring core principle of the Special Olympics movement; “Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt”.
Sport plays a huge part in Irish life, our culture and in our collective imaginations. We love it; some would say we live for it. It is hugely important to us. Not that you’d know it from the last few weeks! We had a wonderful World Cup campaign and I was delighted to have the opportunity yesterday to convey the thanks and praise of the people of Ireland to those great ambassadors for our country who gave their very best in Japan and Korea. They certainly were brave in the attempt, so brave that other team coaches in the same World Cup told their team--- Play like the Irish. What better compliment could anyone pay them. And that same spirit of courage is here at these games.
You of all people do not need to be reminded of the wonderfully powerful magic which involvement in sport can work in our lives. Taking part in these games will I hope, bring fulfilment, fun friendship along with deep pride in self, in the team. May the theme for the Games - ‘Wildest Dreams’ - give you the conviction to make your dreams a reality and whether you win, lose or draw may you leave these games with the most joyful memories of a day when you did your very very best and won the respect of all even if not the medal.
The Special Olympics depends for its very existence on the generosity and selflessness of so many volunteers who give their time, energy, skills and talents to making it all work – and work so well. With over 12,000 participants in Special Olympics Ireland, it takes a lot of volunteers, a lot of hard work to make it all happen. To all those people who give so much of themselves, often behind the scenes, often without recognition or praise nor wanting either recognition or praise, I say thank you for without you these games would never happen and what an awful absence that would be.
Ireland had the honour of hosting the first European Summer Games in the 1980s and next year we will mark another first as we become the first country outside of the United States of America to host the World Summer Games. To represent your country is a very special honour. To represent your country at an international event on home territory is even more special. It promises to be a marvellous occasion and to those who are selected for Team Ireland, I wish you well. Again there is a need for many volunteers to help make those Games the great success they will I am sure be – whether as host families, or helping with the organisation of social events for the teams, as volunteers to work at the games, assisting with fund raising or providing sponsorship, there are many roles and equally there are great numbers of people volunteering to help, displaying the big heartedness and great generosity we are renowned the world over for.
I wish each and every one of you the best of luck in the games. I congratulate each of you and your parents, families and friends who have helped you on the road to the 2002 Games.
To the organisers of the Games I congratulate you and commend you for your hard work and commitment. The success and relevance of the Games is evidenced by the increasing numbers participating with each Games. In 1998 only a few short months after taking Office I attended the opening of the Games – there were eleven hundred participants then whereas today there are nineteen hundred athletes – a very impressive increase by any standard. I look forward to seeing and hearing more about our fantastic special athletes in the years ahead.
It now gives me great pleasure to formally declare the 2002 Special Olympic Ireland National Games open.
Gúim gach rath agus séan oraibh. Go raibh míle maith agaibh.