Speech by President Connolly at Hartstown Community School
Hartstown, Dublin, 23 April 2026
A Chairde Uaisle,
Tá mé thar a bheith sásta a bheith i láthair ag bhur gComhdháil Oideachais anseo i bPobalscoil Hartstown. Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil leis an bPríomhoide Lucia Ryan as ucht an chuiridh.
It was a pleasure to hear the choir and school band performing, as well as Eoin Brady and Catherine Murray who spoke with such eloquence, humour and insight during the opening session.
The theme of today’s conference, belonging and community, is particularly relevant given the volatile world we live in, where we have approx. 120 million people forcibly displaced around the world, of which 42.5 million are refugees.
Belonging and community are at the core of what it is to be human. It is in a community setting that we best acquire the additional skills necessary to live to our full potential. We gradually learn that we are not the centre of the world, but part of a much bigger family.
That process of transition from the home, whether to a local creche, school, university, work, is dynamic, and is best achieved in a supportive, nurturing, community.
That process is best captured, for me, in the wise saying that it takes a village to raise a child. Indeed, having a strong sense of home and of belonging is fundamental to our sense of self. That self-confidence gives us the strength to go out into the world and not feel threatened by people who are different or who come from different backgrounds or cultures.
Ar ndóigh, is ónár dtobar roinnte a thagann agus a fhásann ár bhféiniúlacht chomh maith le meas ar a chéile.
Your project is a powerful example of how we can work together, within the school, the community, and with outside agencies, in this case the Office of Public Works.
It was wonderful for me as President to discover the link between the Áras and your school. In this regard, each year the Phoenix Park offers the school selected fallen trees for Junior and Leaving Certificate projects. As part of that process, the students visit the park to select the fallen trees, which are then seasoned, converted into planks and used to craft their examination pieces. It is very exciting for me to note that the beech wood used for the beautiful bench beside me, which will take pride of place at Áras an Uachtarán, comes from a tree that grew in the gardens of Áras an Uachtaráin.
The beech in question is one of a number of what are now considered native trees, including oak, birch, and ash. These deciduous trees, rooted in the earth but standing tall, adapt to their environment and weather the changing seasons. Each tree is unique, and their resilience is a powerful example to us.
Tá ómós agus tuiscint léirithe agaibh sa togra seo do chríonnacht agus áilleacht ársa na gcrann. Tá ceacht le foghlaim uaibh againn ar fad.
As you have found out, we can learn so much from trees. In Celtic mythology, the birch – a pioneering tree – symbolised rebirth and new ways of looking at things. The oak was associated with wisdom, strength and endurance. Ash trees represented healing and fertility through their link with water and wells.
Is saothar ealaíne feidhmí atá cruthaithe go hómósach agaibh, saothar a mhairfidh agus a bheidh in úsáid ar feadh blianta fada amach romhainn.
Ba cheart daoibh a bheith fíor-bhródúil as an éacht atá déanta agaibh faoi mar atá mise asaibh.
Ba mhaith liom, mar Uachtarán, buíochas ó chroí a ghabháil le chuile dhuine a bhí rannpháirteach sa togra seo. Tréaslaím le daltaí agus múinteoirí Phobalscoil Hartstown agus foireann Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí as bhur saothar agus an troscán gleoite seo á chruthú agaibh.
Ba mhaith liom gach rath a ghuigh oraibhse atá ag ullmhú do scrúduithe an Teastais Shóisearaigh agus na hArdteiste. Go n-éirí go geal libh ar fad.
Go raibh maith agaibh.