ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT, MARY ROBINSON, AT THE RECEPTION IN HONOUR OF PRESIDENT MENUM
ADDRESS AT THE RECEPTION IN HONOUR OF PRESIDENT MENUM TO BE HOSTED BY PRESIDENT AND MR. ROBINSON
Mr. President, Distinguished dignitaries,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am delighted to be hero this evening and to have this opportunity of meeting so many distinguished representatives of the Argentine nation, of the various Irish-Argentine societies, Argentine friends of Ireland, and fellow Irish people.
This is my first visit to Argentine and I greatly appreciate the warm welcome which has been extended to me, to my husband Nick and to members of our party by President Menum and by the other distinguished representatives of Argentine political and judicial life. I have been most impressed by all I have heard and seen, and not least by this beautiful city and I can well understand why it is so frequently described as the Paris of South America.
I have been especially pleased, however, to meet so many members of the Irish Argentine community which continues to thrive and whose members combine being excellent Argentine citizens with an affection and love for the country of their forefathers.
Argentina has provided a remarkable home for the Irish emigrants who came here. Irish immigrants were made welcome from the start, suffered no discrimination and were left to pursue their own happiness in an atmosphere of freedom and respect.
The contribution of Irish emigrants to Argentina, and that of their descendants, is a source of enormous pride to all Irish people, at home and abroad. Nowhere, perhaps, is that contribution more notable than in the person of Admiral Brown and others who participated in Argentina's struggle for independence. Equally important, however, are those who followed and who consolidated that independence by helping to build up Argentina's economy and its political, social and judicial institutions.
The contribution of the community of Irish descent to the growth and expansion of Argentina's sheep and cattle industry is enormous. The same may be said of Argentina's spiritual life where Irish-Argentines have played an important role in the field of religion, education and culture, and continue to do so today.
The Irish-Argentine community has contributed many famous names to Argentine history. It is not to them I would like to address my words now but rather to those I will call the quiet majority. These are the farmers, workers, lawyers, doctors, etc. who in the exercise of their daily tasks contribute enormously to the successful development of this great nation.
Ireland and Argentina can be justly proud of those Argentines of Irish descent who are so important to this country and whom many of you are representing here tonight.
I would wish that you carry back to the communities you represent the message of how proud we, in Ireland, are of them and how much we hope that this State Visit will help to strengthen further the ties of history and of kinship which link our two countries.