Remarks by President McAleese At the unveiling of a memorial To all those lost at sea Dunmore East
Remarks by President McAleese At the unveiling of a memorial To all those lost at sea Dunmore East, Co. Waterford
A chairde, is onóir dom bheith i láthair inniú ag an ócaid seo. Tá mé buíoch díbh as an chuireadh a thug sibh dom.
It is a great honour and a privilege for me to be here in Dunmore East to unveil this special memorial for all those lost at sea. I am very grateful to John Walsh for inviting me to be with you today for this commemoration.
It is fitting we should gather here in this beautiful harbour to honour the memory of those who have departed from here, never to return. I am very glad to be here with you today because I realise how much it means to so many of you who have loved ones commemorated in this memorial.
I know that the people of Dunmore East have always had a close affinity with the sea. Many generations have depended on this marvellous natural resource for their livelihoods and from this close relationship comes a healthy respect for the awesome power of the sea. So this memorial is all the more meaningful because it is the outcome of long and dedicated work by the Dunmore East Memorial Fund on behalf of the local community.
And that effort arose from very personal experience. I understand that this memorial was the brainchild of John Walsh who served as coxswain on the Dunmore East Lifeboat for many years. I know that three of the Committee members have experienced the tragedy of losing members of their immediate families. I commend them and the other members for devoting so much of their time over the past two years to creating a focus for the collective grief of your community in this fine memorial.
Many others contributed both time and effort to bring this idea to fruition, not least the architect Ken Wigham and the gifted sculptor Pat Cunningham who has captured the spirit of this endeavour in this striking work. Assistance in the form of funding has come from the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources and the Millennium Committee and the planning permission for the project was granted by Waterford County Council.
However, the vast bulk of the cost has been raised through local fundraising and that in itself is testament to how this community has been touched by sea tragedies over the generations. We are only too well aware of recent tragic losses of young canoeists and fishermen and the devastating loss of the Air Corps Rescue crew while returning from a rescue mission at Tramore last July. The fact that the rescue itself was successful, and that it was the rescuers who lost their lives highlights the heroic courage of the men and women who risk their lives on a daily basis to save the lives of others. I know that all of our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families and friends and indeed all of those affected by these recent tragedies.
Today we honour, remember and pay tribute, in a tangible and permanent way to all of those lost at sea. This memorial, which was originally conceived following the tragic sinking of the Jenalisa off Dunmore East four years ago, also embraces all those who did not return from the sea, including two of the Jenalisa’s crew. I hope this place will be a place of quiet reflection and prayer and that it will serve as a focus for those who have no graves at which to grieve. And we should remember and take comfort from the special place that those who earn their living from the water have in the story of Christ – he chose a fisherman, Simon Peter, as the rock on which he built his Church. I pray that all of you who have suffered will find some strength and peace at this memorial.
Before I close I want to pay a special tribute on behalf of all of us, to all those people, past and present, full-time and voluntary, who are serving in the national rescue network. The network comprises the Naval Service, the RNLI and the Air Corps. It also includes some 700 volunteers in the Coast Guard Units at 51 stations around our coast as well as 7 Community Inshore Rescue Service Units. We commend them not only for their spectacular acts of bravery but also the day in, day out training in all weathers, to answering calls for help, whatever the time of day or night. We extend a very special heartfelt thanks to all of them.
This memorial is a fitting tribute and memorial to all those 128 people listed on its base. Let us remember all those who have been lost and keep them alive in our memories. Let us keep in our prayers all those who go to sea – may they return safe and sound.
Guím gach rath and sean oraibh. Go raibh maith agaibh go leir.