Reception for the Irish Community, Melbourne

Reception for the Irish Community

Speech by Michael D. Higgins President of Ireland

Grand Hyatt Hotel, Melbourne

Friday, 13th October, 2017

Tá áthas orm féin agus ar Saidhbhín go raibh an oiread seo den phobal Éireannach in ann a bheith linn anocht. Is é seo an chéad cuairt dom ar Mhelbourne agus gabhaim buíochas libh as an fíorchaoin fáilte a d’fhear sibh romhainn.

[Sabina and I are delighted to see so many from the Irish community here this evening. This is my first visit to Australia and to the great city of Melbourne and I thank you for the warm welcome we have received].

The Irish nation stretches far beyond the boundaries of our small island state and one of the great pleasures of our visits abroad are the opportunities Sabina and I get to visit and meet with representatives of the vibrant and diverse Irish community organisations that exist right across the globe.

I am very pleased to be able to acknowledge and thank you in person, for your warmth and your endeavours as the representatives of the Irish community living in Melbourne and the State of Victoria. You do so much to help each other, to support your homeland in so many ways, and are such valued ambassadors for Ireland.

Is mór ag muintir na hÉireann an méid atá déanta ag ár ndiaspóra thar chaitheamh na mblianta sna tíortha ar fud na cruinne inar shocraigh siad fúthu. Is féidir a thionchar a fheiceáil san iliomad earnáil; gnó, seirbhís phoiblí, oideachas, leigheas, spórt agus na healaíona agus go leor earnálacha tábhachtacha eile nach iad atá ina gcroílár de sochaí beo fuinniúil.

[We Irish can all be proud of the great contribution our Diaspora has made across the generations to where they have made their new homes across the world, making such a significant impact as they have in the areas of business, public service, education, health, sports and the arts and so many other important areas which lie at the heart of a vibrant society. Your presence here this evening is a testament to that].

Today, over 90,000 Irish-born people live in Australia and 2 million Australians record their ancestry as Irish in your national census.

The migratory stories of the many Irish who have travelled to Australia across the decades and the centuries are myriad and complex. They are stories that have created a profound link between our two countries, and a friendship that stretches across the many thousands of miles that separate us. I have been encouraging the research and the scholarship that tells us more, and will inform us of the complexity of that experience in its differing circumstances.

President Higgins and Sabina are greeted by Her Excellency the Honourable Linda Dessau AC, Governor of Victoria, Melbourne

Whatever the individual stories, the influence and contribution of Australia’s Irish community is woven deeply into the rich and multi-cultural tapestry of modern Australia. Through distinguished careers in politics, law, industry, and academia; active engagement in education and in the development of the Catholic Church; a proud and generous sharing of our culture and heritage; and the development of settlements and the creation of strong communities, the role played by Irish men and women in the building of modern day Australia is a profound one.

In preparing for my visit I was particularly struck by the central place the Irish hold in the history and development of Melbourne and the state of Victoria.

Irish names reverberate through the pages of any history of Melbourne. I am thinking, of course, in particular of such characters as the Cork born Sir Redmond Barry, who can truly be regarded as one of Melbourne’s founding fathers through his contributions to the University, the State Library, and countless philanthropic ventures in the early days of the city. Of William Edward Hearn, one of its founding professors of whom I have been speaking at Melbourne University.

And Peter Lalor, former Speaker of the Parliament of Victoria, whose rise to that august position began rather inauspiciously with his escape from the authorities following his leadership role at the Eureka Stockade.

His fellow combatants that day included many Irishmen who took up arms against the injustices of the colonial regime. Some of them subsequently faced trial for treason before Redmond Barry, who conducted those trials without bias or harshness, with all the accused acquitted. The Eureka Uprising is regarded by many historians as the founding of Australian democracy and it is worth noting that one witness at the Gold Fields Commission claimed of the rebels that ‘quite half of them were Irishmen’.

The name of Archbishop Daniel Mannix, another Cork man, born less than twenty miles from Redmond Barry is rightly still remembered. His fifty years at the helm of the Catholic Church in Victoria saw him play a central role in many of the public debates and issues of his day, beginning with the anti-conscription movement of a century ago.

But along with those public figures were the thousands of Irish men and women who came to Victoria seeking a new life and who made the most of the opportunities afforded them: finding employment, working hard, rising through the ranks of colonial society, and helping to build this great State. I have read so much in recent months about the contribution of the immigrant Irish to their new homeland and how they so fundamentally and positively impacted Australia.

And while many of you are more recent arrivals to Melbourne you, as the Irish community, are responsible for guarding that legacy and enriching it through your own contributions to this wonderful city and State. You are the custodians of Victoria’s Irish heritage and I want to thank you for your contributions, and encourage you to continue to work to protect our collective heritage and enrich it for yourselves, for your children and for future generations and as you will be gifted the opportunity to do so with the greatest respect to the 65,000-year-old culture of the first inhabitants. Knowing one’s own culture encourages respect for all cultures.

I want to acknowledge and express my deepest appreciation of all the groups and individuals who work in this region to promote and to sustain Irish cultural and community activity in Melbourne and the State of Victoria.

I know the Celtic Club has long been a home-from-home for many within the Irish community since its founding 130 years ago. The move last month from its home of fifty-eight years in Queen Street to new premises will have been difficult for many, I am sure. But I trust that the Celtic Club Board and members will capitalise on the advantages of the sale of the premises to invest for the future and so ensure the Club

continues to be the natural place for the Irish community to gather, foster and celebrate pride in our Irish heritage.

In celebrating our Irish heritage, the community in Melbourne is well served by the existence of its many groups actively promoting Irish culture and identity through literature, theatre, music, language, and sport.

Victoria GAA has a long and proud tradition. I met with some of your representatives when I attended the Australasian Games last weekend in Perth. I take this opportunity to congratulate you on your successes on the field; and to applaud you on your continued stewardship of Gaelic games in Victoria.

Tá áthas orm a chloisteáil go bhfuil an Ghaeilge faoi bhláth anseo san Astráil, ár mbuíochas le Chumann Gaeilge na hAstráile. Guím gach rath agus beannacht ar an t-aonú Daonscoil is fiche atá ag teacht aníos agus táim cinnte go n-éireoidh go geal leis.

[I am delighted to learn that the Irish language is also thriving Down Under, not least through the efforts of Cumann Gaeilge na hAstráile. Congratulations on the upcoming 21st Daonscoil which I am sure will be a marvellous success].

I understand that Comhaltas Melbourne is one of the more vibrant branches here in Australia, continuing to delight audiences with your music and with your support of set dancing. And I must make mention of the many schools of Irish dancing in Victoria who not only keep our traditional dance form alive, but who have produced dancers of the highest standard who compete on the international stage.

The work of Bloomsday in Melbourne and of the Yeats Society of Victoria are instrumental in celebrating our great writers and encouraging new enthusiasts. I also wish to acknowledge the invaluable work of the Australian Irish Heritage Network and the contributors to their online magazine Tinteán, who continue to explore the Irish legacy in Australia and enlighten us on what it means to be Australian Irish in the 21st century.

Melbourne has a long and proud tradition of celebrating our national day. And with over 3,000 in attendance, the annual St. Patrick’s Day Mass at the Cathedral is in the running for one of the largest in the world. I am also heartened that our traditions continue to be celebrated, and passed on to younger generations, through the work of the organisers of the Melbourne Irish Festival. The success of the Irish community can be measured not just through its thriving cultural scene, but also through its contribution to the business and economic life of this city and country. From its founding almost thirty years ago, the Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce has played a central role in connecting business communities in Australia and Ireland. I was impressed to learn of your many new initiatives including mentoring schemes, support for women in business, and the Irish Australian business awards. I know the recentlyestablished Irish branch continues to grow and is a welcome and much needed addition to the business ties between our two countries.

Earlier today I visited the Irish Australian Support and Resource Bureau and met with some of its senior members. The work of the Bureau in supporting the most vulnerable and marginalised in our community, as well as helping those facing personal crises, exemplifies the spirit of solidarity and support that is the bedrock of Irish communities around the world. I wish to take this opportunity to thank them again for the invaluable work they do. We appreciate, and take pride, in the support you have given.

Indeed, the people of Ireland take pride in the contribution of all the members of the Irish community gathered here today, in all walks of life - business, politics, culture, in the professions and in sport – and I congratulate you on your contribution to your city and State.

The Irish who came to this country have played a crucial part in the forging of a distinct Australian identity. As part of the global Irish diaspora they have also done much to shape the country they left behind. Ireland’s relationship with its diaspora is enshrined in our Constitution which states that “the Irish nation cherishes its special affinity with people of Irish ancestry living abroad who share its cultural identity and heritage.” It is an honour and a privilege to be among you today as we celebrate that special affinity and celebrate our culture and heritage.

Thar mo cheann féin is thar ceann Sabina, guím gach rath, slán agus beannacht ar gach duine, idir Ghael, Gall is cairde Gael.

Go raibh míle maith agaibh.

Go dté sibh slán.