Speech at a Dinner hosted by Mayor Ed Murray
Chihuly Boathouse, Seattle, 23rd October 2015
Mayor Murray and Michael, Dale Chihuly, Distinguished Guests,
On behalf of myself, Sabina, and our delegation, allow me to say a sincere thank you for the wonderful welcome I have had in Seattle since arriving on Tuesday evening. Our programme has been a busy one, with so much to admire in this beautiful city.
Go raibh céad míle maith agaibh as an fíorchaoin fáilte sin a d’fhear sibh romhainn.
Yesterday I had the pleasure of seeing young Seattle students try their hand at Gaelic Games, to experience some of the technology of tomorrow at Microsoft and meet some of the Irish staff contributing to this work, and to greet many of you already at the wonderful McCaw Hall for a celebration of community and friendship. Today I had the honour of engaging in debate with students at UW on the crucial topic of the role of technology in sustainable development, before paying tribute to senior members of the Irish community in Seattle, including the renowned Fr Bill Treacy.
During my time here I have been struck by some of the similarities between Ireland and this corner of the Pacific North West. We have similarly sized and skilled populations, a similar climate and geography, and we are both searching for how best to engage in an increasingly globalised economy driven by technology.
I feel there is much to admire and learn from the Seattle region: your promotion of links between the education sector and the research and development operations of businesses and government agencies, and your business-friendly environment, which manages to promote innovation and entrepreneurship while also maintaining strong support to community, and to the arts.
Sabina and I are delighted to be here in Dale’s wonderful former home this evening. To be so warmly received into this space, which is so much an expression of Dale’s wonderful artistic genius, is truly a pleasure. How wonderful to have the demonstration of glass-blowing as we came in. Even this brief insight into the incredible mastery that went in to creating some of the marvellous pieces of art around us helps us appreciate the beauty we see around us all the more.
It is easy to see, Dale, why you are the most renowned artist working in glass today. Your relationship with Ireland spans five decades. From your first visit to our shores in the 1960s, to the creation of the Irish cylinders in 70s, to your first large scale installations at the Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin and in Lismore Castle in Co. Waterford in the 1990’s, to your collaboration with Irish artists such as Róisín de Buitléar and Paula Stokes, and most recently to the re-worked exhibition of the Ulysses Cylinders.
Allow me to also give thanks to our host here this evening, Mayor Ed Murray, who has visted me at Áras an Uachtaráin, the President’s home, in Dublin. Ed is an inspiration not only to the Irish community in which he has deep roots here in Seattle, but also to the wider population of Washington: for your record of public service, from involvement as a peace line volunteer in Belfast in 1974 to the achievement of high elected office. The stance you have taken on important issues such as respect for tolerance and diversity, including your support for marriage equality; and your ability to provide calm leadership in crisis situations, as demonstrated most recently with your compassionate handling of the tourist bus crash late last month. I wish you and Michael all the best for the next years of your Mayorship, and I hope to see you in Ireland again in 2016.
Allow me to finish by saying that I have greatly enjoyed my visit to Seattle, and this is a wonderful place to begin this visit to the West Coast of the United States of America.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.