REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MCALEESE AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF ‘BRUACH NA CARRAIGE’ COMHALTAS CEOLTÓIRÍ
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MCALEESE AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF ‘BRUACH NA CARRAIGE’ COMHALTAS CEOLTÓIRÍ ÉIREANN CULTURAL CENTRE
Tá lúcháir mhór orm bheith anseo libh inniu. Go raibh míle maith agaibh as ucht bhur gcuireadh agus bhur bhfáilte chaoin.
Firstly, I would like to thank all of you, especially your Chairman, Jack Roche, for inviting me to officially open this wonderful new cultural centre on behalf of the Rockchapel Branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann. I am delighted to be here.
Comhaltas recalls for us the beat of the bodhrán, the drone of the pipes and the echo of the dance – all the magic and spontaneity of the Irish musical tradition, a living tradition. Generations of Irish men and women have tapped their feet to the lilt of Irish music, that rich legacy of song and dance which stretches back through centuries and reverberates still in our soul today.
We are proud of that ancient art form, once the preserve of fireside and local crossroads and which today enjoys such widespread popularity – at the global crossroads of the modern world. Those Irish men and women who left our shores over countless generations, brought with them that valuable resource, rooting it in new lands and enriching the culture and music of their new homes. Comhaltas has played a key role in fostering those global links, through its branches as far and wide as the United States, Canada, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and many parts of Europe. This vigorous cultural fraternity who enjoy and propagate the native traditions of Ireland in so many far-flung places, have also promoted a knowledge of Ireland, of our culture and our aspirations. They have rightly been described as Ambassadors for our country, communicating in a language that knows no boundaries and which has won us friends and admirers far and wide.
That admiration - those links – have reflected back to us the inestimable value of what we have inherited, and have added greatly to that new-found sense of cultural confidence and pride that we now enjoy and which is so inextricably linked to our success on other fronts - social, political and economic. We owe so much to Comhaltas for the role they have played in this.
For it was not always so. Back in 1951, when the founders of Comhaltas held their first inaugural meeting in Mullingar, native music and traditions were in danger of fading away. It took real vision and imagination for those founding members to respond to that challenge, re-invigorating these traditions through long years of hard work and dedication, giving freely of their time to teach young people traditional music, song and dance. Today, we pay tribute to their determination and courage.
Their efforts have been repaid a hundred fold, through the wonderful success of the 400 branches of Comhaltas that now thrive worldwide. It is the work of these branches at local level – of which Rockchapel is such a fine example – that sustain and invigorate the cultural life of Ireland. The efforts of the unsung heroes in these branches, who go about their work quietly and consistently, help ensure that many a young singer or dancer has been brought to national, indeed international, prominence. These same unsung heroes, so many of whom are gathered here today, have the satisfaction of knowing that they have given an invaluable gift to whole communities, safely passing on the legacy that they in turn inherited.
I would like to warmly commend Jack Roche, all of the Comhaltas members here in Rockchapel, and the people of the area, on your magnificent achievement in providing this Cultural Centre for this community. I have no doubt it will greatly help to sustain and develop the rich traditions of this area. I would also like to pay tribute to the Duhallow LEADER Company, Cork County Council and the many local enterprises who supported this initiative.
It gives me great pleasure to declare the ‘Bruach na Carraige’ Cultural Centre officially open.
Mo bhuíochas libh arís. Is iontach an obair atá ar siúl agaibh agus guím Rath Dé air sna blianta atá romhaibh.