Speech at Glenmaquin National School
Glenmaquin, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, 11 June 2016
Ladies and gentlemen,
Dear pupils,
A Dhaltaí,
Ar an gcéad dul síos is míon liom mo bhuíochas a chur in iúl daoibhse, a pháistí, as an ahmrán agus as an damhsa álainn sin, agus le gach éinne atá i láthair anseo ar maidin as an bhfíorchaoin fáilte a d'fhear sibh romham chuig Gleann Mhic Coinn agus chuig Dún na nGall. Is mór an pléisiúir dom é cuairt a thabhairt ar an taobh seo den tír.
[Yes, it is always a great pleasure for me to visit County Donegal, a part of the country where I have spent many happy family holidays. May I thank Debbie and Diane for the kind invitation to visit your small, but so dynamic and spirited, school, nested at the heart of such a beautiful landscape. I also want to extend special thanks to the children for their delightful performance of song and dance, and to all of you here this morning for your warm welcome to Glenmaquin.]
Ever since its establishment 150 years ago[1], this school has been the vibrant heart of your community – not just as a place of learning, but also as a community hall, a polling station, and as the seat of fundraisers and community clean ups, to name but a few of the activities that bring you together in these premises. I am aware, too, that many of the current 19 pupils have siblings, parents, grandparents and great-grandparents who attended Glenmaquin School, reinforcing the vivid sense of community that binds you all together.
I was disappointed, last year, to be unable to join you on your 150th anniversary, but I promised Diane – who had written to me on behalf of your Board of Management – that I would do my best to visit you in the near future. I am delighted, therefore, to have this occasion to spend some time with you, and to see some of the work you realised to mark that milestone anniversary in the history of Glenmaquin National School.
The mural realised by Samantha Robinson on the gable wall, and the displays I have had the pleasure of admiring earlier – the old roll books, the old photos and old clothes collages: all this shows how much you value your history and heritage. You are mindful of preserving those memories and traditions so that this generation and those to come can continue to cherish and enjoy them.
May I also congratulate you on receiving the Ulster Scots Agency Award for “most innovative project”, in recognition of the great success of your History Day. I have no doubt that the children took much delight in dressing up and demonstrating their dancing and musical skills on that day. It is uplifting to see all of you, pupils, take such deep interest in the Ulster Scots’ heritage – a heritage that is an important component of the tradition and culture of these parts of East Donegal, and also a constitutive element of the rich and diverse cultural texture of Ireland as a whole.
We are, this year in Ireland, often using the term “Republic” as we engage in acts of commemoration. The Republic is a concept to which there is a rich Presbyterian resonance, drawn from its best European usage, with its strong emphasis on equality.
I think that we can all agree that we have made considerable progress, over the last century in Ireland, towards the elimination of all types of discrimination, be they based on class, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, religious beliefs or the absence thereof, or physical and mental ability.
The roots of such a sense of respect, equality and justice must be sown early, in our communities and in our schools, and I am delighted to note that such a vision resonates with your school’s ethos, which states that Glenmaquin National School is one – I quote:
“where moral values such as honesty, truthfulness, justice, fairness, sensitivity to others, and civic responsibility are nurtured and protected.”
I was also delighted, during my tour earlier, to view your “green school” flag, and to note that recycling and respect for the environment features in the rules promoted in this school. I congratulate all of you, pupils, for all those small practical things you do everyday, in your home and in your school, and which, taken together, contribute in no small way to improving the environment around you.
Such care for your natural environment is and will remain fundamentally important to your lives in the future; and it is my hope that your generation will know to take better care of our fragile planet than my generation has, and that you will pass on to the next generations a world in which all can lead good and harmonious lives.
To conclude, may I thank you again for your hospitality. To all the children, I wish many happy days of study, play and friendship in this school, and a lot of fun in the new addition to your playground, which, I am told, is underway. May Glenmaquin National School continue to be the vibrant heart of your community for many decades to come.
Mar fhocal scoir, is mian liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil libh arís as bhúr bhflaithiúlacht. Guím gach rath oraibh, a pháistí, agus tá súil agam go mbeidh laethanta fada sonais, staidéir, súgartha agus cairdis romhaibh sa scoil seo, agus tá súil agam go mbainfidh sibh sult as bhur gclós súgartha nua. Go mbeidh Scoil Náisiúnta Ghleann Mhic Coinn ina croílár den phobal bríomhar seo ar feadh na mblianta fada amach romhainn.