IRISH WOMEN'S NETWORK
President Mary McAleese: "Ireland Now Soaring on Both Wings"

By MAURA McCAY

VANCOUVER - When Mary Hatch founded of the Irish Women's Network (IWN) in March 1998, she was inspired by a vision presented by the former President of Ireland Mary Robinson. At her inauguration, she announced that she would place a candle in the window of her official residence in Dublin, Áras an Uachtaráin, to guide the souls of the Irish diaspora scattered throughout the world on their way homeward.

It was a dream come true this year on May 27 for many women gathered in the Garibaldi Room on the 31st floor of the Blue Horizon Hotel to finally see the current President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, present among them to address their organization.

MARTIN BURKE the Irish Ambassador to Canada with (L-R) Fionnula O'Leary, Ann Bishop, Carol May, Eileen Paull and Nessa Flewelling.

The theme of Mary McAleese’s Presidency is “Building Bridges” and now in her second term she has embodied that mandate. Born in the Ardoyne district of Belfast in Northern Ireland, she made history when she became the first Irish president to visit Northern Ireland’s parliament buildings at Stormont in the year 2000.

Much praised for her efforts as a “bridge-builder” between the two traditions in Ireland, Mary McAleese has made a special effort to reach out to all the people of Ireland – both north and south – and has been a tireless campaigner for greater tolerance between both communities.

MARY HATCH founder of the Irish Women's Network with Geraldine Megannety the Irish Woman of the Year 2005.

At the IWN luncheon, the President spoke with an eloquence and passion that captivated her audience. She shared her experiences growing up in a conflict zone saying when the Troubles broke out in Northern Ireland she was 18. She expected the trouble might last a week or so. As time went on, perhaps a year or two. Then, she came to realize that nobody had any idea how long it would last.

Like many global conflicts she explained that while there is always an entrance strategy, it is much more difficult to find the exit strategy. Many people thought when the IRA declared a ceasefire in 1994 and the Good Friday Agreement was signed back in 1998, it was all behind them.

In fact, McAleese said that was only just the beginning. She said the peace process is exactly that – a process which takes time. These past years have been about building trust between the various communities and the President has been at the forefront of that process.

In a lighter tone, the President’s remarks about the role of women in Ireland were greeted by much laughter. She said, “I’m here to tell you that things have changed. Have you ever seen a bird with one wing? There is nothing more pathetic than this creature trying to flap around on one wing.”

PRESIDENT of the IWN Deirdre O'Ruairc with Irish President Mary McAleese.

She likened that poor creature to the men of Ireland at one time. They were so busy trying to stretch that one wing around to the other side to keep it down that they couldn’t get off the ground.

All that has finally changed and the country is now soaring on both wings. Education has been the key to change and women in Ireland have now entered the most hallowed halls of business, medicine, law and justice. Their voices are being heard and their resources are being used properly and they have contributed to an enormous surge in power.

Her uplifting words were greeted with delight by the women assembled, many of whom remembered only too well the Ireland of old. After her address, President McAleese graciously answered questions before accepting a token of appreciation from Deirdre O’Ruairc, the current president of the Irish Women’s Network.

In closing, she presented the annual Irish Woman of the Year award to this year’s recipient Geraldine Megannety. Congratulations Geraldine.

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