REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MCALEESE AT THE UNVEILING OF THREE COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUES
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MCALEESE AT THE UNVEILING OF THREE COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUES AND THE LAUNCH OF THE HISTORY VIDEOS
Tá lúcháir mhór orm bheith anseo libh inniu. Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a chur in iúl daoibh as ucht bhur bhfáilte a bhí caoin, cneasta agus croiúil.
It is a great pleasure for me to join you here today in the historic parish of Castlemahon, or Mahoonagh as it was known in days gone by. I would like to express my warm thanks to all of you for your wonderful welcome, and especially to Margaret Doody Scully for inviting me to be with you on this important day.
The story of this parish echoes the wider history of Ireland. It has witnessed appalling tragedies, violence and heartbreak, but has also been the source of a rich heritage of music, dance and folklore. It is important that we remember that past, in all its facets – not for the sake of dwelling on old wrongs or becoming prisoners of history – but because by respecting and acknowledging the past, we gain a greater understanding of the present and the insight to move forward in new directions. Now, more than ever on this island, we need that courage and insight.
I would like to warmly commend everyone associated with the Castlemahon Historical Group for your hard work and dedication in researching and commemorating those important aspects of this parish’s history. These three plaques which I will be shortly unveiling, are a testament to the courage and dignity of your forebears within this parish, who lived and died in such traumatic times. They honour those monks, civilians and soldiers who were put to death so terribly in this Abbey more than 400 years ago; they honour the victims of the Great Famine who are buried at Boithre na Cealla; and they honour the memory of the Parish Priests who served Mahoonagh so well between 1836 and 1859. In honouring all of those people, we are reminded of the terrible toll on life and happiness that violence and human indifference have wreaked on this country, and which continues to be inflicted in so many parts of the world today. We think in particular of the people of Kosovo and pray for a peaceful and speedy resolution of their terrible ordeal. We think too of all those who have suffered and continue to suffer from sectarian hatred and violence here in Ireland and we pray that the overwhelming urge for peace which is shared by so many people North and South will become the energy which creates a new shared, peaceful, prosperous island of Ireland in the millennium.
I would like to pay a special tribute to Margaret Doody Scully whose excellent video history of this area over the past 150 years will provide a lasting record of the music, song, dance and traditions of this parish, as told by the parishioners themselves. Much of the rich heritage of this country would have been lost to us today if it were not for those men and women of foresight who, in the last century, set down in writing our living musical and folklore traditions for future generations. Castlemahon is fortunate to have in Margaret its own chronicler of local history and culture, whose hard work and commitment has ensured a lasting record of the life of this parish. I am delighted to launch this video history here today.
I would like to commend all of the people of Castlemahon, especially the FÁS workers, who have done such an excellent job in cleaning and tidying, and in making the village and Abbey look their absolute best today.
Congratulations once again to everyone in the Historical Society and in the parish, on this exceptional achievement. I wish you every success in the further projects that I have no doubt are in the pipeline.
Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil libh arís as ucht an chuireadh a thug sibh dom bheith anseo libh inniu. Tá tréan oibre déanta agaibh agus guím rath agus séan oraibh go léir san am atá le teacht.