REMARKS BY PRESIDENT OF IRELAND, MARY MCALEESE AT THE WELLINGTON IRISH CLUB WELLINGTON
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT OF IRELAND, MARY MCALEESE AT THE WELLINGTON IRISH CLUB WELLINGTON TUESDAY, 30 OCTOBER, 2007
Mr Jim Bowler, President of the Wellington Irish Club, Committee Members, Ladies and Gentlemen.
I am delighted to be here with you today and to have the opportunity to visit the Club’s fine premises. It is wonderful to find such a vibrant and enthusiastic Irish society thriving such a long way from Ireland.
Along with the other immigrant communities in New Zealand, you have played an important role in shaping modern New Zealand. We are proud of you and of the contribution which you have made to your adopted homeland.
There is a genuine affinity between the Kiwi and the Gael, and this people-to-people connection is at the core of our relationship. New Zealand has always been a major centre of emigration from Ireland and is home to one of the largest communities of the global Irish family among them many of my own kin, whose family name has died out in Ireland but thankfully thrives here. This Irish footprint is evident in many aspects of New Zealand life, nowhere more so than here in Wellington, with the city named after Arthur Wellesley, the Dublin-born first Duke of Wellington. And of course as the seat of Government, Wellington has seen many prominent Irish or Irish-New Zealand politicians contribute to shaping modern New Zealand, from George Grey right through to Prime Minister Helen Clark, whose grandfather emigrated from Co. Armagh in 1910.
It is a distinguished roll of honour, representing both major traditions on the island of Ireland, orange and green, and one of which you are, I know, justifiably proud.
The contribution of so many distinguished Irish people and people of Irish extraction to New Zealand society is a consequence, of course, of the fact that Ireland was for many years a country of emigration. Many of our best and brightest were forced overseas to secure their futures. How times have changed. Now, for the first time in 150 years, more people are moving to Ireland than are leaving and the population is steadily increasing, with Ireland an attractive destination for those seeking employment from other countries.
A time of rapid change presents its own challenges. In this, we have much to learn from a country like New Zealand with its history of tolerance and assimilation of minorities. I am sure that those of you who moved here from
Ireland experienced that tradition of tolerance and of welcome. I can see for myself how well you have integrated into New Zealand society, what you have achieved here and how positive an experience it has been for you.
I compliment you on maintaining your strong Irish identity, even as you integrate into New Zealand society. When I travel, I always enjoy my visits to Irish clubs and societies. I love meeting people who may have left Ireland many years ago who are still fiercely proud of their Irishness and who remain committed to promoting Ireland and all things Irish in their adopted homes. You are our unpaid ambassadors, and you do your job brilliantly. You show how wonderful it is and how possible it is to have a heart for two places.
The Irish Government is committed to the continued wellbeing of our Irish Family around the globe. As part of a programme which will be extended to other New Zealand societies, the Minister for Foreign Affairs recently announced funding for the development by Auckland Irish Welfare of a community network for Irish citizens in New Zealand to provide advice and assistance to members of the Irish community who may be in need or distress. Each one of them, each one of you remains our cherished kith and kin no matter how far the distance from Ireland in miles and in years.
It has been a pleasure to be here with you this evening. I want to thank you all for the warmth of your Wellington welcome, and to wish the Club the very best of success in future years.