Speech at launch of Féile Chnoc na Gaoithe
Cnoc na Gaoithe Comhaltas Cultural Centre, Tulla, 13th of May 2016
Tá áthas orm a bheith anseo sa Tulach tráthnóna agus sibh ag cur tús le deireadh seachtaine ceoil, amhránaíochta agus damhsa. Is mian liom mo bhuíochas a chur in iúl do Bhórd Ionad Chultúrtha Chomhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, Cnoc na Gaoithe, as a gcuireadh caoin dom a bheith in bhur dteannta, agus libhse ar fad as an fíorchaoin fáilte sin.
[I am delighted to be here this evening in Tulla as you commence this special weekend of music, song and dance. I would like to thank the Board of Cnoc na Gaoithe, Comhaltas Ceóteóirí Éireann Centre for inviting me to join you, and all of you for that generous welcome.]
Clare is a county to which I have a strong connection and it is always a special feeling to be home.
Clare is also, of course, renowned around the world for its rich musical heritage, a heritage claimed proudly by today’s citizens and greatly evident in the many annual festivals which are held here to pay homage to, and to keep alive, our great traditional music in all its forms and in all its expressions. They are events that attract visitors from across the globe, who come here to share and experience all that is best about our culture and heritage.
This year, Ennis has been selected to host the 2016 Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, one of the greatest cultural festivals in the world. That is a fitting tribute to a county which can claim so many renowned composers and performers of traditional music including, for instance, Martin Hayes, the Russell Brothers and of course Willie Clancy.
This year’s Fleadh Cheoil has, of course, a special significance as we engage in a year of important commemoration. It is a year when we have been reflecting on the founding moment of our State. Such reflections have made us increasingly conscious of our rich and complex history. It has reminded us of the responsibility we hold to care for the things that were handed down to us by the generations who preceded us, including our artistic heritage and our beautiful Irish language – so as to be better able to imagine alternative futures.
I know that an important part of this weekend will be the unveiling of a plaque to commemorate the men and women from this area who played their own important role in the Easter Rising of 1916, including members of Cumann na mBan and three local volunteers: Mick O’Dea who was shot while on sentry duty during Easter Week in Dublin, and Dan and Joe Canny who were arrested and interned for their active service in the Easter Rising.
In recent weeks I have witnessed much evidence of the great pride and interest the centenary commemorations of the Easter Rising have sparked in local communities all across Ireland. Everywhere, there has been evidence of a renewed and very positive readiness to engage with that seismic chapter of our shared history, and to discover and celebrate brave and courageous local citizens who participated in Ireland’s struggle for independence from British rule.
Here in Tulla you are justly proud of your strong link to the Rising through Mick O’Dea and the Canny brothers. You can also be very proud of the many other citizens of Co. Clare who played their role in that seismic moment of our shared past. It is right that in 2016 we remember also the many groups of Irish Volunteers mobilised in villages across the county on Easter Monday 1916 and indeed those who went on to participate in Ireland’s War of Independence, which in Co. Clare included my uncles and aunts and in Co. Cork my father and my mother and her family.
It is apt, this weekend, that you celebrate both the local dimension of 1916, and also the musical heritage which is so deeply embedded into the cultural life of Co Clare. Culture was, after all, a central element in the Rising and a great inspiration for many of those who took part. Integral to that period of great political ferment and upheaval was an exciting and innovative revival of interest in the literature, music and language of Ireland as a generation of Irish men and women sought to simultaneously retrieve their heritage and fashion an alternative Ireland. Their dream of creating something new and radical in Ireland, continuous with a distinct Irish culture and history, culminated in the idealism of the Proclamation which offers us a generous social and political vision that can still inspire us today.
Indeed, I was delighted to learn that this evening a copy of the Proclamation and a specially commissioned medallion in honour of its seven signatories has been presented to seven organisations and individuals who have made their own important contribution to the Tulla and East Clare area during the one hundred years that have passed since the Easter Rising. The range of areas for which the recipients are being honoured, including education, music, scholarship and, of course, participation in the Rising reminds us of the many ways in which we can actively engage in our society and our communities, leaving our own unique imprint on the landscape for generations to come. Tulla and East Clare can certainly be proud of the great legacy of:
· The Sisters of Mercy who have made such a profound contribution to education and social development in East Clare ;
· The Tulla Pipe Band who, for eighty years, have played a central role in cultural, sporting and historic events held in this area;
· The Tulla Céili Band who, for seventy years, have shared our traditional Irish music and dance with audiences around the world;
· Edward McLysaght whose impact on the cultural, social and educational dimensions of East Clare is both invaluable and incalculable;
· Dr Tomás MacConmara who has gifted us with an exceptional collection of the oral history and folklore of Co. Clare;
· and, of course Mick O’Dea and Dan and Joe Canny of whom I have already spoken.
Le linn na bliana móra comóraidh seo, tá sé tabhachtach nach ndéanfaimid dearmad ar chrógacht ná ar idéalachas na ndaoine a throid ar son na cúise i 1916. Tig linn spreagadh a fháil uathu agus muid ag úsáid ar dtallanna agus ár mbuanna ar son ár bpobal.
Let us, during this important centenary year, resolve to never lose sight of the bravery and, above all else, the idealism of those who fought so intrepidly for a free and independent Republic. Let us draw inspiration from their lives when we consider how we can give of our talents and our abilities for the benefit of our community.
In conclusion may I say, once again, how pleased I am to share with you this special weekend of celebration and remembrance. I wish you every success as a community with a rich and shared history and heritage.