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 St. Patrick's Day Message from the President of ireland, Mary McAleese - 2010
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.
As Gaeilge:
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
PRESIDENT OF IRELAND
St Patrick's Day Greetings from President McAleese- 2008
 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
Teachtaireacht La Fhéile Pádraig ón Uachtarán 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.
Ta ríméad orm beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig a chur ar gach duine atá páirteach i gceiliúradh na bliana seo, is cuma cé acu in Éirinn nó thar sáile atá siad. Tugann ceiliúradh na Féile Pádraig deis ar leith dúinn ár naisc oidhreachta agus ceana a threisiú le clann dhomhanda na nGael, agus lenár gcairde ar fud an domhain. Is léiriú iontach é ar an lúcháir sin na beatha atá ag na Gaeil, agus is mó an chúis atá againn ceiliúradh a dhéanamh i mbliana ná mar a bhí le tamall de bhlianta. Cuireadh fáilte roimh an déabhlóidiú rialtais arís i dTuaisceart Éireann, agus tá tús á chur anois le ré nua ar oileán na hÉireann, a thugann geallúintí síochána, ratha agus comhpháirtíochta dúinn uile. Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil libh go léir as an tacaíocht agus an spreagadh a thug sibh dúinn le linn ár dturais fhada dheacair go dtí an pointe comhaontaithe seo. Níl aon cheist faoi ach go bhfuil an barr feabhais le teacht fós!
Ta súil agam go mbainfidh na hinimircigh nua iomadúla chun na hÉireann, a bheidh ag ceiliúradh inár gcomhluadar i mbliana, inspioráid ón imirceach sin ba mhó tionchar ar fad, Naomh Pádraig féin. Ta a ainm agus ainm na hÉireann ceangailte go dlúth lena chéile sa lá atá inniu ann, agus éiríonn a chlann níos flúirsí agus níos ilchineálaí gach bliain. Guím gach rath oraibh go léir ar an ócáid ceiliúrtha seo na Féile Pádraig 2008. Bainigí taitneamh as, cibé áit a bhfuil sibh! Go gcuire Naomh Pádraig a bheannacht de shíor ar oileán na hÉireann agus ar a mhuintir.
Máire Mhic Ghiolla Íosa
Uachtarán na hÉireann
Photo Credit: RTÉ
For President McAleese St. Patrick's Day Greetings of previous years, please click below:
President McAleese St. Patrick's Day Greetings 2007 and 2006
President McAleese St. Patrick's Day Greetings 2005 and 2004
President McAleese St. Patrick's Day Greetings 2003 and 2002
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Wed, Mar 17, 2010
The Hill of Slane
It had long been known as sacred ground when St. Patrick visited the hill on the eve of Easter in 433 A.D. He lit a Paschal or Easter fire which could be seen from the nearby hill of Tara, the royal seat of power. There, a fire also burned to clebrate the pagan feast of Beltane. Since it was against the law to light any fire in the area while this was taking place, Laoghaire, the king at that time, was furious and rode off with his retinue to arrest the mystery rebel. Miraculously - some say through an earthquake, others by holding up a shamrock- St. Patrick convinced the king of his belief in Christianity and the power of the Holy Trinity. It was a power that St. Patrick thought would be useful to the king who only wished that his soldiers could be as brave as St. patrick and his followers. He took the group prisoner and marched them back to the Hill of Tara. The next day, they were spared and were allowed to preach Christianity to the pagan army. Today, at the top of the hill are the ruins of a Franciscan Monastery built in 1512.
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