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St. Patrick's Day Proclamations

Every year the St. Patrick's Day celebrations kick off with a proclamation by the Irish President. Michael D. Higgins is the current president of Ireland. Know what she said on March 17, 2014, on the eve of St. Patrick's Day last year. If you like it, you can check out all her St. Patrick's Day proclamations since 2001. To share it with your friends, just click here to do so. Enjoy a happy St. Patrick's Day!

Presidential Proclamations


ST. PATRICK’S DAY MESSAGE 2014
MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT MICHAEL D. HIGGINS

I am delighted to send best wishes for St Patrick’s Day to the people of Ireland and to our global family and friends around the world.

The 17th of March is a day when we remember St Patrick and the very challenging circumstances under which he arrived on our shores. Despite the fact that he was a Roman-Briton who came to Ireland as a slave, Patrick forgave his captors and accepted the Irish he encountered as his own community. We recall the transformative power of his great spirit of forgiveness and generosity. It was this generous spirit that commended Patrick to be embraced as our beloved patron saint. His name has since become synonymous with an inclusive and authentic version of Irishness with its stress on the duty and the joys of hospitality.

For those of us who will spend St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland, I hope its celebration, in the company of family and friends, will connect with those deep authentic aspects of Irish life which we share and of which we are rightly proud – our music, our culture, our sports, our natural environment and our rich community life.

In recent years, there has been a welcome increase in the number and nature of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations facilitating greater participation by the diverse communities who make up the tapestry of our lives together. The many parades that now take place across the country express our citizens’ pride in their home place; they are valuable expressions of community solidarity and are deserving of our participation and support.

St. Patrick’s Day also marks the advent of spring, a season of renewal that is keenly welcomed after the severe weather of recent weeks and the destruction it has caused. Patrick’s values of pastoral concern and human solidarity were much in evidence as members of the emergency services, local authority workers and good neighbours reached out to assist those who were afflicted by the storms and the flooding. It was an uplifting example of that spirit of friendship and generosity embodied by Patrick in his own lifetime and which continues to define our sense of community today.

As we reflect on the remarkable life of St Patrick, we are also conscious of how the theme of migration has remained an important part of our national narrative. It continues to play a significant role in defining us as a society and as a people. Today we celebrate our wider and diverse Irish family, to whom we remain connected by a strong cultural heritage and history. We are grateful for all they do to keep that heritage alive in their adopted homelands across the globe, as well as for their interest in, and tangible support for, Ireland’s welfare and development. Today is a special day for all those Irish communities great and small across the world that come together in a spirit of pride and joy to celebrate their identity and their links of affinity and affection with their homeland of origin.

On St. Patrick’s Day, our recent emigrants from Ireland will, in particular, be foremost in our thoughts. Where ever they may be, we hope that our sons and daughters are happy and prospering in their adopted communities and that they will have some opportunity, with friends and neighbours, to share the joyous celebration of our patron saint. I am especially conscious of Irish peacekeepers and humanitarian workers whose sense of service to vulnerable people in distant places prevents them from being home on this special day. Just as we remember our own emigrants, we should also be mindful of those migrants who have made Ireland their new home and, on this day in particular, make a special effort to include them in our national celebration.

To all those who share this island, to Irish people by birth or descent wherever they may be in the world and to those who simply consider themselves to be friends of Ireland, I wish each and every one of you a happy, peaceful and authentically Irish St. Patrick’s Day.

PRESIDENT MICHAEL D. HIGGINS
Republic of Ireland


ST. PATRICK’S DAY MESSAGE 2013
MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT MICHAEL D. HIGGINS

To Irish people everywhere and to the friends of Ireland around the world,I send my best wishes for St Patrick’s Day.

The 17th of March is a day when we celebrate the life and memory of our Patron Saint, Saint Patrick. It is also a day when, with our wider Irish family around the world, we reflect on our shared past; celebrate the unique culture and heritage which make us proud of our Irishness; express solidarity with each other in our communities; and show our gratitude to all those who have been, or are being, of assistance to Irish people at home and abroad.

In his life, St Patrick faced many challenges and adversities. He did so with a great generosity of spirit, forgave readily and refused to succumb to fatalism or resentment. Like St Patrick, we are today living through our own troubling and testing times. We too have been called on to show resilience, fortitude and the wisdom to move beyond destructive cynicism and recrimination. Many people have undeniably been hurt by the crisis of recent years; today we should think of them and reach out to them. I have in recent times witnessed across the country a great capacity and determination to learn from the failures of the past and to craft with compassion, and in solidarity with each other, a new version of our Irishness, of which we can all be proud.

Today we celebrate together a positive Irishness and take pride in the impact and resonance of Irish culture and heritage across the world. We celebrate the creativity, community spirit and rich culture for which we, as a nation, are recognised.

In recent days, I have invited to Áras an Uachtaráin some of Ireland’s best artists to demonstrate through conversation and performance the depth and breadth of our island’s cultural richness and its reach across the global Diaspora. Titled “The Glaoch” or Calling, the fruits of that invitation will be transmitted world-wide over the St. Patrick’s Day week-end. I hope it makes its contribution to our celebration of Irishness, both by those who come to visit us and by those Irish abroad wherever they are gathered.

Today we remember especially our Irish community abroad. We are richer for their stories and experiences and are grateful for their continued connection and contribution to the country so many of them still call ‘home’. 2013 is a special year here in Ireland; a year when we are reaching out to our many friends, family and connections overseas, inviting them to join us in a year-long celebration of all that is special about our country. The Gathering is a valuable opportunity to come together with our wider Irish community and enjoy a vibrant programme of events and festivals that will celebrate the best of Irish culture, arts, science, creativity, music, heritage and people.

At this time, we remember those Irish people whose peace-keeping and humanitarian work has brought them overseas. We also remember those Irish citizens who have been separated from their homeland through involuntary emigration and may not be able to visit home this year. I wish you, in particular, a happy and fulfilled time in your new countries. When economic circumstances allow and should you choose to do so, I hope that many of you will return to live and work in Ireland once again. Your return will be one that brings much joy and content to your families and communities.

All Irish people, wherever they may be in the world and whatever their circumstances, are in our thoughts on this special day; a day when we celebrate our Irishness and rejoice in being part of a global family and community of whom we can be very proud. I wish all of you a very happy and peaceful St Patrick’s Day.

PRESIDENT MICHAEL D. HIGGINS
Republic of Ireland


ST. PATRICK’S DAY MESSAGE 2012
MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT MICHAEL D. HIGGINS

I wish to send warm greetings on this St Patrick’s Day to Irish people at home and abroad and to our wider Irish family around the world.

St Patrick’s Day is an opportunity for the global Irish family, wherever they are living, to joyously acknowledge our shared heritage and culture and to celebrate and make our commitment to an Irishness of which we all can be proud. The life story of St. Patrick is one of perseverance through adversity, generosity overcoming cruelty and a people being transformed through the power of spiritual idealism. Just as St. Patrick brought a vision of hope and renewal to his people, we in our time have our own Aisling – our dream of a better, kinder, fairer shared world.

In pursuing this dream, we build on firm foundations and draw from old wisdoms. We Irish are a creative, resourceful, talented and warm people, with a firm sense of decency and justice. The natural strengths that have built and continue to enhance our reputation include our community spirit, social solidarity, rich culture, humanitarian and peace-keeping work abroad and our powerful bond with the global Irish family. The Irish are a diasporic people and we are both proud of what they have achieved in their adopted homelands and grateful for their continuing commitment to their homeland of birth or origin.

On this day, we think in particular of those Irish men and women who, over recent years, have been separated from their homeland through involuntary emigration. While wishing them happy and fulfilled lives in their new countries, we firmly hope that economic circumstances will in time allow them to consider returning home to Ireland – to their families and friends who cherish them so dearly.

On St. Patrick’s Day, it is our shared culture that is at the heart of our celebrations as we come together to enjoy the best of Irish literature, music, dance and pageantry. The fact that these forms of artistic expression enjoy international appeal enhances our sense of joy and pride. Even more joyful is that, in keeping with the inclusive and generous spirit of St. Patrick, our celebrations accommodate all ages, all communities and all ethnicities. Our love for life and our sense of fun are also constants, as is our core value system that extols pride of place, community cohesion, intergenerational solidarity and an innate spirit of hope and optimism.

In celebrating our Irishness, we also remember that the Irish are an enterprising and resilient people. While navigating very difficult economic conditions, we refuse to succumb to defeat or fatalism. This indefatigable spirit has in the past ensured our survival and is now a source of our creativity and purpose. It will again be a vital force in regenerating a sustainable economy, securing a fairer and happier society, renewing the Republic and making Ireland a country of which we can be even more proud.

All of the Irish and those who are with them, wherever they may be and in whatever circumstances, are in all our thoughts on this day we share with the world. I wish all of you a very happy and peaceful St Patrick’s Day.

PRESIDENT MICHAEL D. HIGGINS
Republic of Ireland


IRISH-AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, 2012
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION

For centuries, America and Ireland have built a proud and enduring partnership cemented by mutual values and a common history. Generations of Irish have crossed the Atlantic in pursuit of prosperity, and today nearly 40 million of their proud descendants continue to make their indelible mark on the United States of America. Their stories, as varied as our Nation's people, humble us and inspire our children to reach for the opportunities dreamed about by our forebears.

Over hundreds of years, Irish men, women, and children left the homes of their ancestors, watching the coasts of Donegal and the cliffs of Dingle fade behind them. Boarding overcrowded ships and navigating dangerous seas, these resilient travelers looked to the horizon with hope in their hearts. Many left any valuables, land, or stability they had behind, but they came instead with the true treasures of their homeland -- song and literature, humor and tradition, faith and family. And when they landed on our shores, they shared their gifts generously, adding immeasurable value to towns, cities, and communities throughout our Nation.

Today, we draw on the indomitable spirit of those Irish Americans whose strength helped build countless miles of canals and railroads; whose brogues echoed in mills, police stations, and fire halls across our country; and whose blood spilled to defend a Nation and a way of life they helped define. Defying famine, poverty, and discrimination, these sons and daughters of Erin demonstrated extraordinary strength and unshakable faith as they gave their all to help build an America worthy of the journey they and so many others have taken. During Irish-American Heritage Month, we recall their legacy of hard work and perseverance, and we carry forward that singular dedication to forging a more prosperous future for all Americans.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 2012 as Irish-American Heritage Month. I call upon all Americans to observe this month by celebrating the contributions of Irish Americans to our Nation.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

BARACK OBAMA


IRISH-AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, 2011
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION

Our diverse Nation has been shaped by the sacrifices and successes of those who crossed both land and sea in pursuit of a common dream.  For millions of Americans, this journey began in Ireland.  In the wake of the Great Hunger, many sons and daughters of Erin came to our shores seeking a brighter day, with only courage and the enduring values of faith and family to sustain them.  Alongside many others who sought a better life in a new Nation, these intrepid immigrants built strong communities and helped forge our country's future.  During Irish-American Heritage Month, we honor the contributions Irish Americans have made, and celebrate the nearly 40 million among us who proudly trace their roots back to Ireland.

From the earliest days of our Republic, the Irish have overcome discrimination and carved out a place for themselves in the American story.  Through hard work, perseverance, and patriotism, women and men of Irish descent have given their brawn, brains, and blood to make and remake this Nation -- pulling it westward, pushing it skyward, and moving it forward.  Half a century ago, John F. Kennedy became our first Irish-American Catholic President and summoned an expectant citizenry to greatness.  This year, as we commemorate the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy's inauguration, we recognize our 35th President and the countless other Irish Americans whose leadership and service have steered the course of our Nation.

Seldom in this world has a country so small had so large an impact on another.  Today, the rich culture of Ireland touches all aspects of American society, and the friendship that binds Ireland and the United States is marked by a shared past and a common future.  As communities across our country celebrate Irish-American Heritage Month and St. Patrick's Day, our Nation pays tribute to the proud lineage passed down to so many Americans from the Emerald Isle.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 2011 as Irish-American Heritage Month.  I call upon all Americans to observe this month by celebrating the contributions of Irish Americans to our Nation.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth day of February, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.

BARACK OBAMA

Proclamation for 2010

Message from President

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 out 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 normalization. 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 out 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 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 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


Proclamation for 2008

Message from President

McAleese Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig ar chlann mhór dhomhanda na nGael, sa bhaile agus ar fud na cruinne, ar ár lá náisiúnta ceiliúrtha.

I am delighted to send St Patrick's Day greetings to all those taking part in this year's celebrations, whether at home in Ireland or around the world. St Patrick's festival is our special opportunity to deepen and celebrate the bonds of heritage and affection which link the global, Irish family and its friends worldwide. It is a great showcase of the Irish love of life and this year, more than any in our recent past, is one to savour with special joy. The welcome return of devolved government to Northern Ireland has brought to the island of Ireland a promising era of peace, prosperity and partnership. Thank you for all the support and encouragement you invested in our long, hard journey to this time of concord. There can be little doubt that the best is yet to come! I hope that the many new immigrants to Ireland who will be joining the celebrations this year will take inspiration from the most influential immigrant of them all, St Patrick himself. Today his name and that of Ireland are synonymous and each year as we gather in his honour, we can see the widening global reach and richly diverse character of his extensive family. To each one of you I wish a wonderful St Patrick's Day 2008. Enjoy it wherever you are! May St Patrick long continue to bless you, his beloved Ireland and her people.

MARY McALEESE
PRESIDENT OF IRELAND


Proclamation for 2007

Message from President McALEESE

Beannachtai na Feile Padraig ar chlann mhor dhomhanda na nGael, sa bhaile agus ar fud na cruinne, ar ar la naisiunta ceiliurtha.

A very happy St. Patrick's Day to all those taking part in this year's festivities which link Ireland's global family and its many friends in a huge celebration "of the green" all over the world. It was Irish emigrants who introduced their vibrant culture to a multitude of new homelands and we have them to thank for the tide of affection and enthusiasm, which the name of St. Patrick evokes far and wide. Today a prosperous Ireland is itself attracting immigrants from many far off shores and they are adding greatly to our legendary cultural buoyancy. The Irish love of music, dance, fun and friendship will be showcased in every continent thanks to the work of countless committees whose passion for Ireland and her unique heritage has seen the St. Patrick's Day pageant grow into a truly global phenomenon. I thank them all for this outstanding network which connects Ireland to her children and her friends in such a joyful way. I hope that their commitment and dedication will be repaid by the best St. Patrick's day celebrations ever. Enjoy them wherever you are and may St. Patrick bless each one of you.

MARY McALEESE
PRESIDENT OF IRELAND


Proclamation for 2006

Beannachtai na Féile Padraig oraibh go léir, sa bhaile agus ar fud an domhain.

I wish to send warm greetings on this St Patrick’s Day to Irish people at home and abroad, and to Ireland’s friends around the globe.

Today is a day of celebration in Ireland and for our global Irish family throughout the world. Over many decades the people of Ireland, resolute in their belief in freedom, democracy, and human rights and the pursuit of truth, justice, and peace, have worked to create the successful Ireland of today. We can all bear witness to the arduous trials of our predecessors. Yet, through it, and perhaps because of it, we have built a new confidence and sense of direction – our collective aim to create a better Ireland and a better life for our children and our children’s children.

Many years of hard work have gone into our economic development which has blossomed in recent years. We have created a society in which the traditional welcome for the stranger is extended to people from many countries whose endeavours have contributed hugely to our economy and to enriching our cultural diversity. We are building new communities, transforming inhabitants into neighbours and neighbours into friends. Our national emblem, the shamrock, itself teaches us to honour unity in diversity even as it celebrates diversity in unity.

Our country today is vibrant, cosmopolitan and filled with energy, and with our own distinctive national character, and our international relations are playing an important part in our maturing as a nation and deepening our understanding of our place in the world. The world is ever-changing and we accept that we need to change with it. Greater understanding of our fellow members of the European Union, and of the wider world, is a central part of meeting the challenges, and seizing the opportunities, which lie before us. I am confident that the strength of Ireland’s culture and values will stand to us in the future.

To my fellow Irish citizens, and to our friends celebrating this day with us, may I say, in the words of St Patrick himself:
A blessing on their peaks,
On their bare flagstones,
A blessing on their glens,
A blessing on their ridges.
Like the sand of the sea under ships,
Be the number in their hearths;
On slopes, on plains,
On mountains, on hills, a blessing.

I wish all of you a very happy and peaceful St Patrick’s Day.

Go mbainimis ar fad sult agus aoibhneas as an la speisialta seo.


MARY McALEESE
PRESIDENT OF IRELAND


Proclamation for 2005

ST. PATRICK'S DAY MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT McALEESE

St Patrick's Day is a day of national joyful celebration treasured by the people of Ireland both at home and in their many adopted homelands throughout our world. Wherever we are, this day reminds us of our shared heritage and our membership of a remarkable global family.

We are the adopted children of St. Patrick, the outsider whose great gift to Ireland and her people was his exhortation to love one another. Each generation has interpreted his message in very different circumstances. Many left Ireland with very little: yet no matter how poor or oppressed they were they remembered those who were even worse off at home and they created vital networks of care for each other.

Today we honor our patron saint in very exciting times. Modern Ireland is economically successful and culturally vibrant as never before. It has made a huge contribution to the ongoing Peace Process and is a respected, dynamic partner in the European Union. It is a home to newcomers of many cultures, faiths, nationalities and identities. A land of opportunity now, the changing face of Ireland grows more fascinating each day. Behind this welcome peace and progress is a traditional value system which links us to St. Patrick. It continues to infuse our restless ambition for a fully inclusive society where all participate in life's banquet and none are mere spectators. Wherever Irishmen and women gather this day I know they share that ambition and take pride in it.

As our global Irish family and friends celebrate this day through the expression of our culture and heritage in our language, literature, games, poetry, music, and dance, I hope that the legacy of St. Patrick will long encourage us to treasure our strong community spirit and tradition of welcome and care for one another. Enjoy St. Patrick's Day 2005.


MARY McALEESE
PRESIDENT OF IRELAND


Proclamation for 2004

President's St. Patrick's Day Message - 2004
by Mary McAleese

Beannachtai na Feile Padraig ar chlann mhor domhanda na nGael, sa bhaile agus ar fud na cruinne, ar an la naisiunta ceiliurtha seo.

A Happy St. Patrick's Day to Ireland's sons and daughters, and indeed to our adopted brothers and sisters, throughout the world.

This St Patrick's Day is a particularly special time for Ireland. Today our national day is celebrated during Ireland's Presidency of the European Union, when the European family of nations is about to adopt many new members. These are times of great hope for the nations of Europe and this great project will surely be a beacon to the other nations of the world. We welcome those new members and look forward to a future of friendship and fellowship with them and their peoples. St Patrick himself was, of course, a great European whose vision was not bounded by narrow horizons.

Around the world, on this day, we come together to celebrate the music and song, the wit and humour, the friendship and fellowship that is our heritage and our pride. Many friends will join in the festivities here in Ireland and abroad, and will carry with them the richness of fluent and open friendship that signifies our Irishness. Our greatest gift as a people is our openness to new experiences and genuine curiosity about other cultures, while we continue to inspire other nations with our legacy of resilience, versatility, and enthusiasm for whatever the future holds. That great capacity to adapt underlies much of our economic and cultural successes over the past decade. These shared gifts have sustained and encouraged us through every challenge we have faced throughout history.

I am delighted to join with all members of the Irish family and our many friends throughout the world in honouring St Patrick on this special day.

Go mbainimis ar fad sult agus aoibhneas as an la speisialta seo.


MARY McALEESE
PRESIDENT OF IRELAND


Proclamation for 2003

St Patrick's Greetings from President Mary McAleese - 2003
by Mary McAleese

Every year the President shares St Patrick's Day wishes with the Irish around the world. This is her 2003 greeting:

Beannachtai na Feile Padraig oraibh go leir. Warmest greetings to Irish people around the world on St. Patrick’s Day.

On this day of celebration we honour Ireland’s great patron St. Patrick and remember with gratitude the legacy of a man who came among us as an unwelcome stranger. Today his name carries our island’s culture and identity to virtually every corner of the earth and in his name people around the world, with and without Irish ancestry, will gather as we do, to commemorate his Feast Day. Through our annual celebrations we confirm the importance of those unique links of friendship which Ireland is privileged to have, the care of which falls to each successive generation. St. Patrick’s Day challenges us to focus on the qualities and values that make us proud to be Irish. Our celebrations around the world with such a huge shared effort exemplify our love of country, culture, heritage and hospitality. May they lift hearts, create happy memories and inspire us to renew Patrick’s vision for Ireland as a generous, tolerant, inclusive and peaceful place.

I extend my very best wishes to Irish people everywhere for a most enjoyable celebration of this special day. Go neiri go geal libh.

MARY McALEESE


Proclamation for 2002

2002 St Patrick's Greetings from President Mary McAleese
by Mary McAleese

Beannachtai na Feile Padraig ar chlann mhor dhomhanda na nGael, sa bhaile agus ar fud na cruinne, ar an la naisiunta ceiliurtha seo.
Warmest St Patrick's Day greetings to every member of our global Irish family and to our many friends around the world.

On this famous day of celebration we gather together drawn by the deep affection and pride which the name of Ireland evokes. It is a day of fun, of music, laughter and joy and it is a day to bring to mind memories some of which lift our hearts and others that weigh us down with grief and sadness.

The tragic memory of September 11th still haunts our minds and thinking back to that dreadful day we can see clearly how much we needed the strength and comfort of friends, how much we depended on each other for reassurance that we would and could transcend this darkness and find again the light of hope.

On that day the thoughts of Irish people everywhere turned to their loved ones far away. We were grateful for those who were safe and our hearts broke for those who suffered loss and injury. Today, as on every St. Patrick's Day we turn our hearts and minds again to each other across seas and continents and we affirm our deep bonds of affection and care for one another, bonds which time and tides cannot weaken.

Irish men and women have brought the name of Ireland to countless lands. They brought with them our culture and our unique history and they introduced many strangers to St Patrick and his people. They earned respect and admiration for the way in which they enriched their new homelands, often overcoming huge obstacles and difficulties. Today Ireland, the land that people once routinely left to seek opportunity is itself a land of opportunity and we too are being enriched by the cultural diversity brought by immigrants to our shores.

On this day we remind ourselves again of the many gifts brought to Ireland by our most famous immigrant, St Patrick. Although he first arrived among us over fifteen hundred years ago there is still a remarkable timeless integrity about his message of love, patience, forgiveness and tolerance. He believed these virtues could work miracles in transforming human relationships from conflict to harmony.

May his generous spirit inspire us today and every day and may you all enjoy a celebration on this day.

MARY MCALEESE
PRESIDENT OF IRELAND


Proclamation for 2001

MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT McALEESE ST PATRICK'S DAY 2001

Beannachtai na Feile Padraig oraibh go leir, sa bhaile agus ar fud an domhain.

From Ireland's capital city, Dublin, I extend warmest St Patrick's Day greetings to every member of the Irish family at home and abroad, to the many newcomers who are making their homes in Ireland, and to the friends of Ireland everywhere on this, our special day of celebration.

Today we pay tribute to Ireland's wonderful rich cultural heritage, not just here on the island of Ireland but in countless locations, big and small, right across the world. Ireland owes an enormous debt of gratitude to the legions of men and women, boys and girls, whose passion for every facet of Irish culture has allowed it to flourish so spectacularly, extending its reach from our small native home to every one of the earth's continents.

The voice of today's Ireland speaks more of celebration than of lamentation. A new heritage of prosperity and peace is being crafted by a generation which has known more hope, more success, more opportunity than any other. The past which shaped us no longer shackles us. Ireland has moved into a new era and confidence in the future is its hallmark.

If, as the poet O'Shaughnessy says "Each age is a dream that is dying / Or one that is coming to birth", then this St Patrick's Day we can surely be said to be celebrating a dream that is coming to birth.

Wherever you are celebrating, I am delighted to join with you in honoring St Patrick on his day, the day of the Irish.

Rath, sonas agus san ar mhuintir na hireann agus arr gcairde uilig ar fud na cruinne. Go mbainimis ar fad sult agus aoibhneas as an l speisialta seo.

MARY MCALEESE
PRESIDENT OF IRELAND
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