Remarks at a Civic Reception hosted by Clare County Council
14th June 2012
Tá an-áthas orm bheith i bhur láthair ar an ocáid seo.
Méara, Comhairleoirí, Bainisteoirí Contae, A Dhaoine Uaisle, ba chúis mhór áthais dom glacadh leis an gcuireadh cineálta bheith anseo libh inniu. Is mór an phribhléid dom cuireadh a fháil go fáiltiú cathartha i gcontae atá thar a bheith speisialta dom go pearsanta.
(Mayor, Councillors, County Manager, Ladies and Gentlemen, I was delighted to accept your kind invitation to visit you here today. It is a great privilege for me to be invited to a civic reception in a county and in a place with which I have such a strong association.)
Clare is, also unique in that two of my predecessors as President also had strong connections with the ‘banner county’ – Patrick Hillery born and raised further west in Spanish Point while Eamon deValera’s selection to contest the East Clare by-election in 1917 marked the start of his long association with this town and with this county.
Clare, this audience need not be reminded, is a county with a very rich culture and history. It is a county justifiably proud of a unique past; of a story that reaches back as far as the days of Neolithic civilisation. It is also a county which rightly cherishes that past; which values its magnificent and very different landscapes and seascapes, from the unique plantlife and megalithic tombs of the Burren to the spectacular views from the Cliffs of Moher; and which preserves the many great traditions that tell of the history of the county and ensure that the life story of Co Clare will never be forgotten.
Clare is also, however, a county acutely aware that life is an ever changing landscape, a landscape rich with possibilities for the days to come. It is a place prepared to move forward, to evolve and to constantly initiate exciting plans for its future. Clare has rich resources for sustainable development be it in the natural or human area.
In the County Clare Development Plan for the coming years it is stated as a major aim, to “create an inclusive County of sustainable communities that each have respect for their environment, a sense of awareness of place, a sense of shared purpose and a sense of civic pride.”
That is an important aim, and one that encompasses a sense of being part of a unique and shared past combined with a desire to move forward, to play a part in a global world, in a changing society and in a renewed and invigorated and sustainable economy. It is an aim that acknowledges that Ireland must go through a period of important transformation; a time when we must identify and celebrate our many possibilities, recognise the many valuable initiatives being developed within our communities and harness both these things to an innovation and original thinking that will move our country forward to better times.
There can be no doubt that Clare is a county dancing to a very lively beat. Clare is a county that is rightly renowned internationally for its living music heritage. Anyone visiting this part of Ireland will discover, very quickly, that they are in a place where songs, melodies, rhythms and harmonies are woven into the fabric of everyday life; the birthplace of Sharon Shannon, Martin Hayes and Peadar O’Loughlin, the County where the legendary Stockton’s Wing first came together and, of course, home to the Kilfenora Ceili Band. Willie Clancy School, the late Muiris Ó’Rócháin. Every year Clare plays host to many festivals centred around our traditional Irish music, festivals that attract visitors from across the globe and showcase all that is best about our culture and heritage.
Pride and enthusiasm play a part in fostering an environment that can allow such a thriving culture and such an appreciation of heritage and I commend the many vibrant communities within County Clare that facilitate this ongoing flourishing and sharing of our rich musical tradition.
The old Irish saying ‘ní neart go cur le chéile’ tells us that our strength lies in our common wealth. The shared riches of Clare surely lies with its people, a reservoir of talent that is constantly being channelled into the creation and development of inclusive, supportive and participative communities.
Every week and every day there are many valuable things going on in this county which foster a spirit of community, of concern for each other and for the environment and the society that you will pass on to your children and to your children’s children.
There is an importance to every member of the public having access to, and an opportunity to participate in, all areas of society which affect them. It is very encouraging, therefore, to hear of initiatives like the Clare Age Friendly Strategy aimed at providing older people with an opportunity to input into plans that will impact on their quality of life. Likewise the County Clare Comhairle Na nÓg will allow younger people the chance to discuss the issues that are important to them and empower them through participation in the process of local decision making, to make a difference in their own community.
Meanwhile, the work of the tidy town committees throughout County Clare is not only evidence of the pride that people in this part of the country have in their surroundings, but also of the importance that the local authority places in fostering sustainable and positive relationships with community groups and with ensuring that County Clare continues to be a place that attracts visitors from far and wide to visit its abundance of beautiful sights.
I am deeply impressed by these many positive initiatives; initiatives which have been put in place not only by the active participation of the citizens of Clare but also by the pro active policy of the Council which seeks to pursue the fundamental values which are also at the heart of a healthy, vibrant and resilient civic society.
During my Presidential campaign last year I spoke of how my early days in Co Clare helped shape my belief in the necessity of social justice and also about compassion and the power of possibility even in difficult times. Today, Clare continues to be a place of creative possibility; a place that has not lost sight of the best of our past as it moves forward confidently into the future.
Is sochaí comhaimseartha, croíúil An Clár. Cuirtear fáilte mór ort i gcónaí agus tugtar aire den scoth do riachtanas gach saoránach i measc an phobail sa chontae.
(Clare is a contemporary, innovative society which retains its warm and welcoming ways, its concern for the needs of all its citizens and its great sense of community.)
I would like to thank the Mayor, councillors and staff of Clare County Council for this very generous civic reception extended to me to-day and to the people of Clare for the warm welcome I have received on this visit.
Go raibh maith agaibh go léir.