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 President's St. Patrick's Day Greetings - 2009
Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig ar chlann mhór dhomhanda na nGael, sa bhaile agus ar fud na cruinne, ar an lá náisiúnta ceiliúrtha seo.
Warmest St Patrick’s Day Greetings to everyone taking part in this happy festival celebration, in Ireland and around the world. This is our time for showcasing the spirit of the Irish through our wonderful culture and heritage, our gift for friendship and our love of life. We will gather in both the most obvious and the most obscure of places under the patronage of St. Patrick, a man, an immigrant to Ireland whose life was one of outrageous hardship and outstanding endurance. The chances are that wherever the Irish, and their neighbours and friends gather this St. Patrick’s Day they will be making a very determined effort to find joy in adversity and a moment of distraction from serious economic and financial worries that face our country and our world.
St Patrick’s own personal story is one of facing into huge difficulties and hardships, not of his own making. His coping skills were sorely tested. In the Deer’s Cry, the beautiful poem attributed to him he says, “I arise today, through a mighty strength”. We have our own mighty strength, in the goodness, decency and hard work of so many individuals, in our uniquely strong and robust sense of community, in our history of overcoming hardship, our culture of welcome, our investment in peace and in our ability on St. Patrick’s Day to be family to one another from Beijing to Bahrain and from Belfast to Bantry. We know that our patron saint would encourage us to work with each other, for each other and work through these difficulties to a better future for everyone.
Behind every St. Patrick’s Day gathering wherever it is in the world there is a story of men and women who came together to celebrate being Irish, whether by birth or by association. They are part of a generations old tradition of volunteering help to one another, and of being community to one another. I thank all of them for the many ways in which they bring such noble and life-enhancing qualities into our world
and for the fun, enjoyment and happy memories they help create for us through St. Patrick’s Day 2009.
To each and every one of you, I wish a wonderful St. Patrick’s festival. Enjoy every moment of it and may the spirit of St Patrick be with you and your families on this day and every day. May that mighty strength be yours as it was his.
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 10, 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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