Speech at a Community Garden Party
Áras an Uachtaráin, 27th June 2015
Tugann sé an-áthas do Shabina agus dom féin fáilte a chur romhaibh go léir go dtí Áras an Uachtaráin tráthnóna. Tá súil agam go bhfuil sibh uilig ag baint taitneamh as bhur gcuairt ar an teach agus ar na gairdíní.
[Sabina and I are delighted to welcome you all to Áras an Uachtaráin this afternoon. I hope you are all enjoying your visit to the house and gardens.]
I particularly welcome those of you who have travelled from Northern Ireland and from organisations in both parts of the island who are working together to make our society and our communities better places.
The garden party season is a special time of the year here in the Áras as it gives Sabina and I an opportunity to meet members of communities across Ireland, to hear from them, and to share with them for a while the house and the grounds of Áras an Uachtaráin.
You are all so welcome whether you have come as members of a family, a workplace, an organisation, a charity, a friendship or activity group. You will have had a variety of experiences and a multitude of different stories to share, because we are after all complex, multiple and social beings. Yet we are people who both need, and thrive, on a sense of solidarity with others. A sense of unity, of kinship and of belonging is part of our being. In short we must always value that community spirit which holds our lives together, in all their diversity and for which, here in Ireland, we are so renowned. It is, therefore, as members of communities that you have both written in to me and it is as representatives in your diversity that Sabina and I have invited you here today to Áras an Uachtaráin.
The opportunity to witness and share in so many community events across the country is something that Sabina and I really enjoy. These are always uplifting occasions, celebratory occasions and a reminder of the capacity of genuine solidarity to transform, re-imagine, restore and renew, and the sheer joy of doing something for all beyond the self.
In so many instances I have seen how vulnerable and marginalized citizens realise, with the assistance and solidarity of other citizens, opportunities and possibilities that would once have seemed unattainable: for example places of dereliction have been given new life, recrafted into flourishing centres of shared activity and enjoyment; and arts and culture have been brought right into the heart of villages and towns and suburbs and as a result of such efforts been shared with all.
I have also seen the genuine communal pride when Tidy Town awards are achieved, or when a school which has woven itself into the heart of the community celebrates a significant anniversary, and I have, of course, been deeply impressed by the many examples of care and compassion I have observed in hospitals, homes and rehabilitation centres. The real commitment made by so many in the voluntary sector in raising funds and your continued efforts at providing the best facilities possible for those in need is a valuable part of our shared citizenship.
And at the heart of all this activity lies an acknowledgement of the importance of interdependence and of a commitment to community that brings with it, not only a sense of belonging, but a sense of responsibility for those with whom we share the public space. A full sense of citizenship must bring with it an awareness of the opportunity, and may I say even the obligation, we all have to play in creating and nurturing a vibrant, caring and forward looking society, one which will be inclusive of each and every member of society of all ages and which will enable them to fully participate in our shared lives.
Now allow me to say that in our own 5,000 year old language which was the language of so many of our migrants and their ancestors:
Caithfidh sochaí chuimsitheach a bheith bunaithe ar phobail scafánta atá fréamhaithe i ngach a bhfuil i gcoitinne acu féin, ach is pobail bhisiúla fhorásacha de thoradh glacadh leis an iomad creideamh, cultúr agus inniúlachtaí difriúla atá acu siúd ar mian leo a bheith rannpháirteach i saol a bpobal féinig. Is le pobail den sórt sin, agus le daoine fearacht sibh féin, gur féidir linn díriú ar shochaí a cheapadh agus a thabhairt ar an saol a bheidh cóir daonlathach go firinneach, arb éard a bheidh inti fíor-Phoblacht.
[An inclusive society must be founded on strong communities that are rooted in all that is shared in common, but which grow and flourish through an acceptance of the many different beliefs, cultures and abilities of those who wish to participate in the life of their community. It is with such communities, and with people like yourselves, that we can aim to imagine and realise a truly just and democratic society, a real Republic.]
Again, may I congratulate and commend all of you for the efforts you generously and unstintingly are putting into your role as citizens, for working so hard to keep community and family at the heart of our society. Despite the many difficulties we as a people have faced in recent times, we draw hope and determination from that sense of active citizenship, local partnership and deep community spirit that has remained at the centre of communities around the country.
I would like to conclude by thanking all those who have worked so hard on behalf of the Áras to make this a wonderful occasion for you. A big thank you to our MC Chris O’Donoghue, Louis Ryan, Donegal Town Community Band, Deetrich, The Swingcats and 4 in a Bar.
On your behalf and my own, I salute the hard work, unfailing good humour and – not least – culinary skills of the staff here in Áras an Uachtaráin, the OPW, our friends from St. John of God and the Civil Defence, and may I say how grateful I am to Dee Rogers and his team for their technical skills that ensure our sound system works so well.
Sabina and I hope you have a great afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your time here and thank you for coming,
Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.