REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE ON THE OCCASION OF HER VISIT TO SHANNON DEVELOPMENT
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE ON THE OCCASION OF HER VISIT TO SHANNON DEVELOPMENT, TUESDAY, 10 APRIL, 2001
Tá lúcháir mhór orm bheith anseo libh inniu, agus ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a chur in iúl daoibh as failte a bhí caoin, cneasta agus croiúil.
I am delighted to have the opportunity to be with you in Shannon today, as you celebrate your 40th anniversary. And I would like to thank you for the very warm welcome that both Martin and myself have received. It’s lovely to be amongst such friends.
I wonder if those men and women who began this development, some of whom are here today, had any idea of the tremendous success story they were initiating. I understand that in the early days of your involvement in Bunratty Castle, those of you who worked in the office during the day, donned costumes and became entertainers at night. That was long before we talked about having a flexible workforce in Ireland. But what a prototype! Now there’s dedication above and beyond the call of duty!
I have just had the opportunity to get a brief but most comprehensive snapshot of your work and achievements over the past forty years, and I would like to thank Kevin Thompson for his very informed presentation. You can all take a just and righteous pride in those achievements.
21ST Century Ireland is experiencing an era of prosperity and of opportunity; there is a palpable air of optimism and regeneration right across the country. However, I’m sure that those of you who have been with Shannon Development since the pioneering years of the 1960’s can recall quite vividly different, more difficult times when many rural Irish communities had to deal with the steady loss of our young people to foreign shores, the evaporation of investment and the lack of jobs, times when optimism in the future was hard to sustain and your kind of vision was met with a wall of hardened scepticism.
You brought those walls of doubt tumbling down like the walls of Jericho for it was this organisation among others which sowed the seeds of today’s success. You had faith in the future when others had doubt. You had determination when others saw only despair. While others were wringing their hands you were rolling up your sleeves and your reward has been the worldwide interest Shannon Development has attracted from those concerned with innovative public management and economic development. Not only Shannon, not only the region, but this country, has benefited from your work over the past forty years.
You are renowned for your imaginative fidelity and commitment to the principle of regional development, always alert to new business trends and keen to pilot new ways of assisting and developing economic activity - from Enterprise Centres, through entertainment and day-visitor attractions, to the World Aviation Park. I was told earlier, that good suits were torn by irreverent brambles during an inspection of the Kerry Technology Park! - more evidence of your determination, your unstoppability.
A central value which lies at the heart of your success is the strength that comes from partnership from developed alliances and supportive networks. Harnessing that communal, shared energy has been a powerful catalyst for success. Understandably your Organisation’s expertise is widely sought, both nationally and internationally, a powerful vindication of your intuition, wisdom and experience.
Shannon Development piloted many concepts that we take for granted today. The Economic Miracle of twin-engined progress in Irish industrial development and tourism was spearheaded from the Shannon Region. However, in the same way as you were pioneers in the industrial age, with the establishment of the Shannon Free Zone, you are now developing products to support and meet the needs of businesses which are technologically focused. We are in the Information Age with its requirements for new economic drivers – one more challenge for you! - and your ambitious plans for future development are a testament to your commitment to this latest challenge.
My thanks to Liam Mc Elligott for his kind invitation because not only does it give me a chance to see the work in action but it gives me an opportunity to say thank you.
I know that none of this was ever done for thanks yet it is so important that I take this opportunity to thank all the staff of Shannon Development, both past and present, for their untiring work for this region and indeed for the country as a whole. If Ireland’s shoulders are thrust back with a newfound confidence a lot of the push came from Shannon. You have a story of success which allows you to look calmly and with reassurance to the future with all its surprises, its opportunities and its challenges. You are ready for anything after these past forty years and I wish you every blessing as you begin the next forty.
Go maire sibh.