Speech at a Reception for Ireland’s Eastern Region Amateur Football Team
Áras an Uachtaráin, 16th December 2015
A Dhaoine Uaisle,
Ar an gcéad dul síos is míon liom fíorchoin fáilte a fhearadh romhaibh chuig Áras an Uachtaráin tráthnóna.
[Ladies and Gentlemen,
Firstly may I warmly welcome you all to Áras an Uachtaráin this afternoon.]
It gives me the greatest pleasure to welcome you all here and Sabina and I are so pleased that you are able to join us, and celebrate the Eastern Region team's historic victory over Croatia's Zagreb Region in July of this year. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to pay tribute to you, directly, for representing us so admirably on the world stage and for achieving the title of Champions of Europe for the first time.
And this is a very special time as well, because your visit is coming at Christmas time. We have put up the Christmas decorations and lit up this Christmas tree, because we knew you were coming. I hope you like the gesture.
Let me say once again that Sabina and I really enjoy the opportunity to welcome you to the Áras. Since becoming President, I have had the pleasure of welcoming many visitors to the Áras. Since taking up the role of President in 2011, over 66,000 people have visited the Áras. But not all of them have been Champions of Europe.
And of course, it is always enjoyable to have the opportunity to discuss Irish football a sport played by over 300,000 young people in this country.
As an avid supporter of the game at all levels – including especially the League of Ireland and my beloved Galway United - I am very familiar with the work the Football Association of Ireland are engaged in. May I take this opportunity to thank the FAI, its board members and its staff for all their work in promoting the game in Ireland.
Sport plays a crucial role in our community – of course promoting the involvement of young people in sport is one of the most important public health strategies, but the importance of sport, especially team sport goes beyond fitness and activity. Football encourages team work, it teaches young people the importance of tactics and strategy, it gives them an appreciation of how skills are developed only through hard work, and supporting sports teams is a building block of strong communities.
De bharr na nithe seo ar fad, mar Uachtarán na hÉireann, athnaíom tábhacht faoi leith i gcúrsaí spóirt, don duine aonair agus don phobal i gcoiteanna. . Molaim sibh. Bainigí gach sult as an éacht atá bainte amach agaibh le chéile sa léine ghlas, Agus bíodh a fhios agaibh go bhfuil tabhacht ag baint le bhur n-éacht agus le himeachtaí na foirneacha éagsúla do ghach Éireannaigh, sa bhaile agus thar lear.
For all of these reasons, as President of Ireland I attach great importance to all sports, so while today is a day to enjoy your success, I want to convey to you that what you are doing and what you have achieved are important for all of our people.
The road to success in sport is a challenging and difficult one, especially for amateur athletes. It is not a journey for the fainthearted and those who want accolades have to put in the hard work. Sacrifices have to be made, especially where training commitments have to be balanced with the demands of career and family life. For successful amateur teams like yourselves, you combine the dedication of professionals with full lives in other areas and your achievements, then, are all the more important.
May I take a moment to acknowledge your manager, your coaches and backroom team, your physio, your doctor, your kit managers and also your wives and partners, your families and your friends for the important role they play in your success. Although the players ultimately receive all the accolades, each individual’s performance depends on the support of those closest to them, personally and as a team, to help them through their preparations, and we extend our appreciation to all of them for their contribution to your accomplishments.
In conclusion, agus mar fhocal scoir, is mian liom an fhoireann agus a dtraenálaithe a mholadh as ucht an méid atá bainte amach agaibh, agus guím gach rath oraibh don todhchaí. I congratulate the team and their trainers for everything you have achieved and I wish you well in your future endeavours.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.