REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MCALEESE AT THE OPENING OF CÓRFHÉILE NA SCOILEANNA NATIONAL BASKETBALL ARENA
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MCALEESE AT THE OPENING OF CÓRFHÉILE NA SCOILEANNA NATIONAL BASKETBALL ARENA, TALLAGHT
A chairde na Córfhéile,
- Ba mhaith liom ar dtús buíochas ó chroí a ghabháil libh as cuireadh a thabhairt dom teacht anseo anocht chuig Córfhéile na Scoileanna.
- Is ócáid speisialta í, i saol dalta scoile, páirt a ghlacadh sa Chórfhéile. Beidh cuimhne agaibh go deo ar an oíche seo. Déanaim comhgháirdeachas libh ar fad, idir dhaltaí, mhúinteoirí agus thuismitheoirí, as an dian-obair atá déanta agaibh thar na blianta, ag cothú grá don cheol, maille le cairdeas agus muintearas, i muintir óg na tíre seo.
- I am truly delighted to be here this evening to officially open the Córfhéile. Since its foundation back in 1955 by the late Proinsias Ó Ceallaigh, this festival has truly gone from strength to strength. With Brian Ó Dubhghaill now at the helm as music director, this year’s event will have over 4,000 participants – a remarkable achievement by any standards.
- A particularly important aspect of the Córfhéile – and one which deserves special praise – is its non-competitive nature. It recognises that whatever our different gifts and talents, an appreciation of music, song and drama are pleasures that each of us has a right and a capacity to enjoy. It is a life-long pleasure and one which it is so important that we nurture in the young - while our children still have that exuberance, that openness to new experiences, that sense of celebration of life in all its aspects – that is so easily lost in the inhibitions of adolescence.
- As parents and teachers, we have a responsibility to foster that inborn capacity of the young to express themselves, to shore up their self-confidence and to enable them to experience the great joy that music and drama can bring. Córfhéile is not alone a wonderful opportunity to nurture this self-expression, it also provides children with the opportunity to meet with their peers from different backgrounds, to make new friends, and to broaden their horizons on so many fronts.
- I would like to say a special word of thanks and congratulations to the boys and girls – all of you here this evening and all those throughout the country - who will be taking part in the Córfhéile. I have no doubt that it will be a week of great fun, both for yourselves and for your parents and teachers. I know it has taken a lot of hard work to prepare for this event, but you should be very proud of yourselves for rising to the occasion in such a wonderful way.
- The success of an event of this kind depends very much on voluntary effort. I would like to pay tribute to the trojan work of the organising committee under the chairmanship of John Gearty, with the support of Trisha Geaney. Many of the volunteers are themselves teachers, parents and loyal supporters who have given of their time and energy with such willing enthusiasm. Special thanks are also due to the accompanists and the guest musicians who provide such wonderful support and encouragement to the participants.- I would also like to acknowledge the foresight of school principals and boards of management for enabling their pupils to attend the Córfhéile. Finally, in these days of ever-increasing costs, the Córfhéile is indeed fortunate to have such a generous sponsor in Compaq Ireland. I am glad to see its Marketing Manager, John McCormack, here with us this evening.
- This will be the last Córfhéile of the current millennium and with your help it will be the best - sending you home with a huge kaleidescope of great memories and images which will be the talk of the early days of the next Millennium as you prepare for the first Córfhéile of the 21st Century. Córfhéile is more essential than ever before and I wish you all every success in the years ahead.
- It now gives me great pleasure to formally declare the 1999 Córfhéile na Scoileanna officially open.