REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MARY McALEESE AT THE SHARE CENTRE, LISNASKEA, CO. FERMANAGH
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MARY McALEESE AT THE SHARE CENTRE, LISNASKEA, CO. FERMANAGH THURSDAY 22 OCTOBER 1998
Firstly, let me say how delighted I am to be with you this evening and to have this opportunity to see the SHARE Centre, but most importantly, to meet the staff and the clients of the centre along with some of your guests.
I know that the range of facilities here is very comprehensive and that through your various indoor and outdoor activities you are giving a vital added quality of life to so many who come here – not just to avail of your impressive leisure and recreation facilities – but to receive the kind of training that people need if they are to lead active and inclusive lives in their own communities or to assist those who need that extra support to help and care for others who might not be able to provide adequately for themselves.
By my coming here this evening, I want to pay a warm tribute to everybody who has been and is associated with the Centre for what you are doing for others – and especially the 300 or so volunteers who do outstanding work. Their spirit of service to the community is exemplary. Whether it is by example or through dedicated work, you are giving the gift of a fulfilled life to many people who in former times would not have been so fortunate. That extra dimension – that additional quality - for many makes the difference between existence and living. But it is an enormous difference.
I know of course, that running a Centre of this size – with such a wide range of facilities and with your own objectives of budget and social inclusion – that there can be headaches – that it can’t always be possible without additional help and support. I would like to commend the organisations and agencies that provide you with much needed funding – among them the International Fund for Ireland.
Earlier this evening, I visited Brookeborough – a community that has also benefited from the assistance of the IFI – and which has invested wisely to build a strong cross-community spirit that is having a very positive impact on the quality of life in their village. Indeed, in its twelve years of existence, the IFI have supported 3,600 projects, representing an investment of £350 million in funding and the creation of 32,000 jobs. In the case of the SHARE Centre you have opened your doors for many years to people from the south of the border – even during the most difficult of times – and have demonstrated the universality of the culture of care which transcends borders and traditions – and the need to “share” with others the experiences and expertise that you have so that more people can enjoy a fruitful and rewarding life.
I would like to thank you all for the very warm welcome and I would like to wish you continued success with the Centre for many years to come.
ENDS