REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MARY McALEESE AT A CIVIC RECEPTION BY CASTLEBAR UDC ON SATURDAY 18 JULY, 1998
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MARY McALEESE AT A CIVIC RECEPTION BY CASTLEBAR UDC ON SATURDAY 18 JULY, 1998
I am very grateful to you, Chairman, for the warm words of welcome to me this morning in Castlebar. It is a pleasure to be formally welcomed in this way by you – and by the members and officials of the Urban District Council – on my first ‘official’ visit to the town as President. Of course, it goes without saying that I have often been the recipient of the unique Castlebar hospitality when – like so many others – I chanced to stop a while on trips and tours to the West of Ireland.
Castebar – the administrative capital of Mayo – is a centre of commerce and industry – and is an important gateway to places like Westport, Newport Mulranny, Achill and Ballycroy – for the many people from Ireland and abroad who visit the region – especially during the summer months – when Castlebar itself is at its very best.
Castlebar has its origins as a defensive outpost founded by the Normans following Richard de Burgo’s invasion of Mayo in 1235. Since then it has featured in the events and episodes of our varied history over the centuries. Like many other towns, Casltebar this year commemorates its involvement in the events of two centuries ago - the 1798 Rebellion – when General Humbert defeated the Government forces in what has become known as the “Races of Castlebar”. That French connection with Castlebar and with Ireland was recalled and renewed for all of us last week when the Tour de France passed through some of our towns and cities after a colourful start in Dublin on Saturday. And I know that already there are those who want to see it as a feature of the West in the future.
Today, Castlebar has a different relationship with Government – playing host to a number of the State agencies and departments – a move which has brought prosperity and opportunity to the people of the town – and which the Urban District Council has been quick to welcome. The past two decade have seen enormous progress and development in the town – with the arrival of major multinational industries – and a considerable influx of Civil Servants as part of the successful programme of decentralisation.
The growth in population has brought with it an increased awareness of the need to provide for a growing community. Castlebar now has a very active Chamber of Commerce – a Community Development Association – a Tidy Towns Committee - and a number of other associations catering to the needs of traders and residents in the town – and all of whom work with the UDC to promote its best interests. It was as a result of the combination of effort – and the focusing of energies – that the UDC and the Community Development Association obtained Urban Renewal Status for part of the town in 1987 – a move which has facilitated the redevelopment of a previously run down area.
With a whole range of leisure facilities available to the community – and the opening of the Castlebar Campus of Galway RTC in 1194, it continues to progress and prosper. The recent cultural and economic renaissance that Ireland has been experiencing has had a positive impact on most towns – and is opening up new opportunities for further development of tourism and other industries. The people of Castlebar are fortunate to have a dedicated and committed UDC who take pride in their place – and who are actively involved in ensuring that it is up there with the best. I want to commend you and, through you, the people of Castlebar on what you have done to make it a place of which everyone can be proud – and which is well set to ride on the crest of the wave of prosperity that will see us well into the third millennium.