REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE PRESENTATION OF THE PRESIDENT’S AWARD’S/GOLD AWARDS
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE PRESENTATION OF THE PRESIDENT’S AWARD’S/GOLD AWARDS ÁRAS AN UACHTARÁIN
Is mór an pléisiúir dom céad míle fáilte a chur romhaibh go léir inniu chuig Áras an Uachtaráin. Is ócáid speisialta í seo domsa agus is mór an chúis bhróid dom an méid atá bainte amach agaibh go léir.
It is a great joy to welcome you all to Áras an Uachtaráin for this very special occasion – the first presentation this Millennium of the President’s Gold Award and in honour of that, the first time this ceremony has been held here in the Áras. I am delighted to say that since the President’s Award was instigated back in 1985, the number of participants has grown year after year, and now has more than eight and a half thousand entries annually. I am extremely proud of every single one of those young people, but especially of the fifty five of you gathered here today – the largest number ever - who have achieved the Gold Award. Yes, you get the same award, but by very different paths. Each one of you has a unique story to tell about who you are and how you came to be here today. Some of you come from schools, workplaces and communities which have a history of achieving the Gold Award, some of you are blazing a new trail which others will hopefully follow. Today we are particularly proud to have our first ever Gold Award winner from Ballymun and we look forward to watching as his success inspires others. For each one of you has not only conquered yourself in achieving gold, you have challenged those who have quietly watched you, to wonder if they too could aim for gold. What unites all of you and what earns you our admiration and respect is the outstanding dedication, commitment, resilience, staying power and determination you have shown on the road to earning the Gold Award.
And earned truly is the operative word, because I know that each of you has travelled on a long and at times difficult journey over these past two years – a journey on which you have set challenges for yourselves and achieved them, a journey on which you have stretched yourselves to your emotional, physical and intellectual limits and no doubt, found within yourselves a strength and determination you didn’t know you possessed. You will have discovered things about yourself, surprised yourself, come to see yourself afresh.
There is always a great sense of satisfaction in achieving a goal. But the real benefit of the President's awards is not just reaching the final destination, but the lessons you have learned along the way. It has been a journey of self discovery about yourself and others, on which you have discovered how much can be achieved if you have enough commitment and self-belief in your own gifts. A journey on which you have grown in maturity and self-confidence, learned the importance of leadership but also of teamwork; the value of giving to others and of receiving a gift in return – the gift of knowing that your contribution can and does make a difference. Most importantly you will have discovered the importance of participation, of taking responsibility for your own development, of being one of life’s ‘doers’.
These are lessons that will serve you well in later life, whatever path you choose to take. And they are lessons which have a value in our society today. We live in an era when selfish materialism, cynicism and apathy can drain the energy of the doers, can make it more difficult to harness the spirit of generosity that marked us for so long as a people. It is to you, and other young people, that we now look to counter those attitudes. And looking around me here today, I have great hope for the future.
This is a day for taking pride in all you have achieved, and for providing your Award Leaders, families and friends with the opportunity to tell you how proud they are of you. They too, deserve our thanks, for I am sure you will agree that it would have been difficult to persevere at times if it had not been for their support and encouragement. I would like to say a special word of thanks to the ‘PAL’s who have given so generously of their time and energy to guide and support the Gold Award recipients. I have no doubt that the President's Award could not be the success it is without their enthusiasm and commitment.
This past year has been an eventful and exciting one for the President’s Award. Last August, we had the great pleasure of co-hosting the Millennium Gold Encounter with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in Northern Ireland, an event which brought hundreds of Gold Award winners from all over the world to our shores. The hope, energy and enthusiasm which marked that event was a powerful symbol for what can be achieved when young people come together in a spirit of co-operation, joyful curiosity and mutual trust. That same spirit of trust and hope is now finally taking root on this island, creating the space for a peaceful, prosperous and humanly decent future for all our people. Helping that future to become a reality lies in all of our hands, but especially in the hands of you, our young people. With the energy and commitment you have shown in earning this Gold Award, I have no doubt that that future is in very safe hands.
The President’s Award, is very much a team effort, but particular thanks are due to Mary White, the Chairperson of the Awards, the Council and to John Murphy, the Executive Director, who, as ever, has put a huge amount of effort into making the Awards such a success. A warm thank you also to our wonderful harpist, Aibhlínn McCrann, who played for you in the Front Hall on your way in, and Peter Devine who will play in the Drawing Room later.
I hope you all have a most enjoyable afternoon, and that you take this opportunity to meet and mingle, swap stories, and build a few new friendships.
Comhghairdeachas ó chroí libh go léir. Go raibh maith agaibh.