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Saint Patrick’s Day message from President of Ireland, Mary McAleese
Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig ar chlann mhór dhomhanda na nGael, sa bhaile agus
ar fud na cruinne, ar ár lá náisiúnta ceiliúrtha féin.
Warmest greetings to everyone who is celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day 2010,
wherever you are in the world. On this day we set aside our problems and
remember the joy in life that comes from good company and the celebration of a
great culture. Saint Patrick’s Day is a time for fun and laughter, for
showcasing the best of the Irish and for demonstrating our pride in homeland and
heritage. Saint Patrick’s own life story is worth remembering during these tough
times for he himself faced and overcame great personal hardship that tested him
to the limits. The family of the Gael gathers in his name in Ireland and in many
diverse parts of the world. We are lucky to have such a large global family. It
has proved itself to be a very precious and important resource in every
generation. In recent years it has been an indispensable enabler of the Peace
Process which is consolidating and strengthening little by little. Northern
Ireland is enjoying the longest continuous period of devolved power-sharing
since the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. The recent Hillsborough Agreement was
another significant step in the completion of devolution and represents an
important milestone on the path to long-term stability and normalisation. It
took considerable generosity of spirit on all sides to secure this historic
peace and we can look forward to the many benefits of a rapidly growing culture
of good neighbourliness instead of wasteful division.
The commitment of our global Irish family is now being harnessed as never before
with initiatives like the Farmleigh Conference and the new Global Irish Network,
all intent on putting their talents and ideas at the service of Ireland’s
economic recovery. Thanks to our global family the link with Ireland has been
kept alive over generations and our culture introduced to countless millions
throughout the world. Saint Patrick’s Day is marked and relished in a myriad of
places in a celebration that is both local and global and that is
quintessentially Irish yet warmly welcoming of friends from other cultures and
traditions. So whether you are parading down the street of a small rural Irish
village or one of the largest cities in the world, Saint Patrick’s Day parade is
a shared celebration with the same deep pride and love of life and of community
at its heart.
To every Irish person and to every friend of Ireland, I wish you a happy and
enjoyable Saint Patrick’s Day 2010.
MARY McALEESE
President of Ireland
Teachtaireacht Lá Fhéile Pádraig ó
Uachtarán na hEireann, Máire Mhic Ghiolla Íosa
Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig ar chlann
mhór dhomhanda na nGael, sa bhaile agus ar fud na cruinne, ar ár lá náisiúnta
ceiliúrtha féin.
Beannachtaí ó chroí don uile dhuine a
cheiliúrann Lá Fhéile Pádraig is cuma cá háit a bhfuil tú ar domhan. Ar an lá
seo cuirimid ár ndeacrachtaí i leataobh agus tugaimid chun cuimhne an t-aoibhneas
sa saol a eascraíonn as dea-chomhluadar agus ceiliúradh ar chultúr den scoth.
Tráth é Lá Fhéile Pádraig don spraoi agus don gháire, le sárthaispeántas a
dhéanamh ar an gcuid is fearr den Éireannachas agus le léargas a thabhairt ar ár
mórtas as ár dtír dúchais agus as ár n-oidhreacht. Is fiú beatha Phádraig Naofa
féin a thabhairt chun cuimhne sa tráth achrannach seo ó b'éigean dó fein aghaidh
a thabhairt ar chruatan mór pearsanta agus é a shárú, cruatan a chráigh é thar
fhulaingt. Bailíonn na Gaeil le chéile ina ainm in Éirinn agus in an-chuid
áiteanna éagsúla ar domhan. Tá an t-ádh linn clann mhór dhomhanda mar í a
bheith againn. Chruthaigh sí go maith mar acmhainn thar a bheith luachmhar agus
tábhachtach i ngach glúin. Le blianta beaga anuas bhí sí ina héascaitheoir
fíór-riachtanach ar an bPróiseas Síochána atá á dhaingniú agus ag dul ó neart go
neart diaidh ar ndiaidh. Is é seo an tréimhse leanúnach is faide de chomhroinnt
cumhachta déabhlóidithe i dTuaisceart Éireann ó Chomhaontú Aoine an Chéasta
1998. Céim shuntasach eile i gcomhlánú na déabhlóide a bhí i gComhaontú na
Cromghlinne le déanaí agus ba gharsprioc tábhachtach é ar an mbealach i dtreo
socrachta agus normálaithe fadtéarma. Léiríodh méid fiúntach de mhóraigeantacht
spride ar gach taobh agus an tsíocháin stairiúil seo á baint amach. Agus is
féidir linn a bheith ag súil le han-chuid tairbhí ag éirí as cultúr
dea-chomharsanachta a bheith ag teacht chun cinn in áit an easaontais
dhiomaltaigh.
Táthar ag baint leas as tiomantas mhuintir
na nhÉireann ar fud an domhain níos mó ná riamh le tionscnaimh mar Chomhthionól
Farmleigh agus an Líonra Domhanda Éireannach, iad uile dírithe ar a gcuid buanna
agus smaointe a chur ar fáil ar mhaithe le biseach ar gheilleagar na hÉireann.
A bhuí lenár muintir ar fud na cruinne, tá an nasc le hÉirinn coinnithe beo
leis na glúnta agus tá na milliúin gan áireamh ar fud an domhain tar éis eolas a
chur ar ár gcultúr. Déantar ceiliúradh ar Lá Fhéile Pádraig agus baintear
taitneamh as in iliomad áiteanna, ceiliúradh idir áitiúil agus dhomhanda agus
atá de dhlúth agus d'inneach an Éireannachais ach a chuireann fáilte mhór roimh
chairde ó chultúir agus traidisiúin eile. Mar sin is cuma má bhíonn tú ar
mhórshiúil sráide i sráidbhaile tuaithe beag in Éirinn nó i gceann de na
cathracha is mó ar domhan, is comhcheiliúradh é paráid Lá Fhéile Pádraig arb é
an mórtas diongbháilte agus an grá céanna don bheatha agus don phobal atá ina
chroílár..
Guím Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona agus
taitneamhach i 2010 ar gach uile Éireannach agus ar gach cara le hÉirinn.
MARY McALEESE
Uachtarán na hEireann
MARCH, 2010
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