Remarks by President McAleese at the Official Opening of Kennedy Glasgow House, Moy Valley Resources
Remarks by President McAleese at the Official Opening of Kennedy Glasgow House, Moy Valley Resources, Ballina
Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil libh as ucht an cuireadh a thug sibh dom bheith anseo libh inniu.
Firstly, let me say how pleased I am to be with you in lovely Mayo today and to thank William Lewis, Chief Executive and everyone at Moy Valley Resources for inviting me to be here with you and for your very warm welcome.
My visit here today to Ballina on the banks of the majestic and mystical Moy is to learn about and experience at first hand the success story that is Moy Valley Resources and to celebrate the latest in that success story – the restoration of Kennedy Glasgow House.
Many would describe any organisation of only ten years as fledgling and to that extent Moy Valley Resources is very much in its early youth. But in the ten short years since it came into being, Moy Valley Resources has made a very real and significant contribution to the economic development of the Moy Valley Region benefiting communities in the region at a time when they were never needed more. At the time when Moy Valley Resources was established the area it serves and the West in general was particularly badly hit with the scourge of rural decline. Our economy was in poor shape and unemployment was at unprecedented levels hitting all areas of our island but none more so than the most rural of our communities. As employment opportunities dried up people were forced to move to larger towns and cities in search of work. And as numbers fell in rural areas much needed public services proved no longer to be viable and these communities suffered again as services were scaled back or withdrawn altogether.
Thankfully, the indomitable Irish spirit is never too far to the background and in many areas not least of all here, communities aided by voluntary and statutory agencies worked tirelessly to rebuild and revitalise, to restore confidence in a way of life that was in danger of being further eroded or lost forever.
Partnership at both local and national level has been one of the great Irish success stories of this era, and at local level there are few partnerships that can claim to equal the numerous achievements of Moy Valley Resources. Your partnership company comprising representatives from business, unions, local authorities, State and Semi-State agencies and representatives of local communities, has played a vital part in restoring a confidence in the ability of small communities to help themselves, to help them take on what can often appear as mammoth tasks and to succeed. Looking through the record of achievements involving Moy Valley Resources it is difficult to comprehend that so much has been done in such a short period of time. The list seems endless and truly diverse in nature; success stories like the Water Adventure Centre in beautiful Enniscrone, the revitalised and reinvented Foxford Wollen Mills, the Mayo North Research and Heritage Centre at Crossmolina and the Easkey House development at the lovely seaside town of Easkey, each one ably assisted in one way or another by Moy Valley Resources. You have helped numerous enterprises, social, training and environmental initiatives throughout the region and also delivered Leader Programmes, EU funded development programmes in Slovenia with other agencies, cross border mentoring and training and development programmes with Craigavon and also a local programme focused on the personal development and skills enhancement of the long-term unemployed.
Today marks another milestone in the accomplishments of your company. Today after many years of planning, fund-raising, sheer hard work and determination, you have taken what was a derelict location and transformed it into the thriving centre of business it is today, a wonderfully restored show-piece which stands true to its original design and character. It will serve to remind us all for many years to come that the West is Awake and that Moy Valley Resources is very much awake, doing very well and in safe hands.
My congratulations to everyone involved in this venture, you have achieved much and I have no doubt that you will achieve much more.
It only remains for me to thank you once again for inviting me to join with you today on this memorable occasion, to wish you well in your future endeavours and to declare Kennedy Glasgow House officially open.
Gúim rath agus séan ar bhur gcuid oibre san am atá le teacht. Go raibh maith agaibh go léir.