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Remarks at Ceremony Honouring Admiral William Brown Plaza Irlanda

Buenos Aires, 12th October 2012

Damas y caballeros

Es un placer estar en la Plaza Irlanda, en un espacio público donado por los irlandeses y dedicado a ellos, que cumple hoy ochenta cinco años.

[Ladies and Gentlemen, I am delighted to be in the Plaza Irlanda in a public space donated by, and dedicated to, the Irish which was officially inaugurated 85 years ago to this day.]

Me honra tener la oportunidad de ofrecer tributo a esos hombres y mujeres irlandeses que hicieron de la Argentina su hogar adoptivo. Celebramos a su orgulloso espíritu de colectividad y al fuerte aporte que ellos y sus familias han hecho a este país.

[I am honoured to have this opportunity to pay tribute to those Irish women and men who made Argentina their adopted home, to their proud community spirit and to the strong contribution that they and their descendants have made to this country.]
It is fitting that in this special place in the heart of this fine city, we pay tribute to a man who holds a cherished place in the hearts of the people of both Ireland and Argentina.

We Irish have been a diasporic people for a great part of our history. Admiral Brown’s story is testament to that tradition, and his story is a particularly exciting and significant one. It began with his birth in Foxford, Co. Mayo, 235 years ago. His life journey involved passage from the west of Ireland to Pennsylvania, France, Britain and finally to Argentina.

Geography tells only part of his story, of course, as it was his experiences of humanity in all its forms that moulded the man he became. He bore witness and participated in the tumultous events of his time in Europe and South America, most notably in the developments of this nation that he adopted as his own.

Brown is renowned as a man of courage, integrity and immense dignity. He was also a keen innovator and a naval strategist, who used what he had to hand to confront opponents who were often better equipped and armed. He built the Argentine Navy from the leanest of resources, converting ordinary commercial ships into effective fighting units which played a central role in securing, and subsequently defending, Argentina’s independence.

These ships were nothing without their crew, however, and he trained and sparked a flame in the hearts of the fledgling group of individuals who were to become the first echelon of the Argentine Navy. I am pleased that the successors of these first crewmen have gathered here today to pay tribute to a man who set the standard for the Argentine Navy.

Brown was also renowned for his honour and chivalry in the field of battle. In 1842, he personally intervened to spare the life of Giuseppe Garibaldi; an intervention which – I hope – also commends his memory to the large community of Italian descent in Argentina.

Despite the passage of years, geography and experiences, Brown did not forget his place of birth. He followed closely political developments in Ireland and it is said that when he heard of the horrors of the Great Famine, he decided to make a return visit, setting sail from Buenos Aires in 1847. Though details are sketchy, it seems that he may have spent time with family in England before embarking on the journey west to Ireland and to his birth place of Foxford, Co. Mayo. We can only imagine how saddened he must have been to witness the inhumanity of the famine that ravaged his native people.

Commemoration of the past is important. It provokes in us reflection on core values and prompts us to learn from the past so as to more fully understand the present and thoughtfully plan for a better future.

There is a statue within this Plaza dedicated to another patriot, a man who fought and died for the independence of his country, Pádraig Pearse. Pearse was one of the leaders of the Easter Rising of 1916 in Dublin and he was executed for his dream of securing Irish independence.

One of those who fought with Pearse in the 1916 Rising was Eamon Bulfin. Bulfin, who was born in this city in 1892, was the son of an Irish immigrant William Bulfin. There is a pleasing symmetry in the fact that just as the Irish born William Brown played a key role in asserting Argentina’s freedom, the Argentine born Eamon Bulfin was part of the iconic moment associated with Ireland’s struggle for independence.

Padráig Pearse is most famous as a patriot and as a champion of Irish independence, but much of his life was dedicated to the arts, to poetry and to education. He was a keen supporter of the revival of the Irish language, something which is very dear to my heart, and often wrote and spoke publically about how education was the key catalyst to sustaining Irish culture.

Today, in the Plaza Irlanda, we are joined by students from the many schools in Buenos Aires which retain links to Ireland. I am pleased to announce that to mark my visit here today, the Embassy of Ireland is organising an essay competition based on the life and contribution of Almirante Brown.

Ambassador McIntyre will shortly provide you all with the full details of the competition. I hope that this initiative will deepen your knowledge and understanding of the Admiral’s important contribution to the founding of the Argentine State.

Damas y caballeros:

Para concluir, deseo expresar mi profundo agradecimiento a las autoridades de la Armada Argentina, a la Federación de Sociedades Argentino-Irlandesas y al Instituto Nacional Browniano por su participación en la organización de este ocasion tan especial que compartimos hoy.

[Ladies and Gentlemen, In conclusion, I would like to express my deep appreciation to the authorities from La Armada Argentina, the Federation of Argentine-Irish Societies and to the National Brownian Institute for your role in organising today’s special event.]

Thank you, Go raibh míle maith agaibh y muchisimas gracias!