C.E.A.R.T. Wicklow
President Mary McAleese's Visit to C.E.A.R.T.
On Friday, the 1st of October, 2004 the Centre for Education and Resourcing Travellers (CEART) in Wicklow were honoured with a visit from the President of Ireland, Mrs Mary McAleese. In 2003 some students from CEART visited the President in Aras on Uachtarain and invited Mrs. McAleese to visit the centre. The President accepted the invitation and in August 2004 requested to come to Wicklow. We were also glad to welcome the new Minister for the Environment Dick Roche T.D. who was invited to the event.
The President's party was met by the chair and vice-chair of Wicklow Travellers' Group, Brendan Hyland and Kathleen Berry and by Eamonn McCann, the Community Development Officer.
The President and her party, which included her husband, Martin, and her aide de comp, toured the building and met several children in the crèche. Some of the older children, who are now in local schools, came back specially for the occasion. One of the young girls commented on how nice the president was and how well she looked, while more were fascinated with her aide de comp dressed in his army uniform.
Mrs. McAleese and her husband, viewed an exhibition that included work, study and training samples of the participants of the various projects associated with CEART. The samples consisted of Knit and Weave wear produced by Shuttle Knit Limited, puppets, art and photos from the youth work project, posters made by the trainee community health workers and modules, craft pieces and photographs of student activities from the Senior Traveller Training Programme. The walls of the centre were decorated with the many fine examples of art and crafts produced by the students since it opened in 2000. The President was clearly impressed by what she saw and praised the Travellers commitment to the centre.
In his words of welcome to the President, Chairman, Brendan Hyland, described the Mrs. Mc Aleese's visit as just another part of the long story of CEART which began in Sister Caitriona's kitchen in Ballyguile with a group of Traveller women. Afterwards, the group had to rent and move to two old halls before finishing with the CEART centre we have today.
Speaking to the general audience, the President said that CEART had an extraordinary story. She said that "a lot of people could be left out of modern society - and who would want to live in a country where spectators watched as others enjoyed the good life." President Mc Aleese went on to say "I want to live in an Ireland where young Travellers don't have to face an obstacle course to get what they want in life. The phrase 'you can't do that because you are a woman' has gone for its tea and other prejudices will follow". She also commented "There are a lot of things that are wonderful about the Travelling community, but there are a lot of things also that would break your heart. While life expectancy and health has increased in the settled community over the past ten decades, it has only just started to happen to the Travelling community".
She went on to say that "the next generating of Travellers would grow up strong healthy and articulate. That just because they were born into a Travelling family does not mean that they would have a life cut off to them. There are going to be huge changes" The President went on to say "The centre had helped bring out talents and qualities in the women that use it, talents that they probably didn't know they had and which would increase their confidence." The President concluded "that the centre couldn't exist without the commitment of the Travellers who were its focus and energy."
Minnie Connors, who is a trainee community health worker, presented Mrs McAleese with a hand woven cape from Shuttle Knit on behalf of CEART. Minnie said that the President's visit to the centre meant a lot to the Travellers and she wished her every success for her second term in office.
The visit concluded with tea, scones and apple tarts, made by the women in CEART. Maggie Wall from CEART presented the President with some home-made apple and blackberry jam. Mrs McAleese enjoyed some apple tart and mingled with guests, students and staff from the centre for a half hour before departing to prepare for her appearance on the Late Late Show the same evening.
[St.
Catherine's Carlow] [St. Joseph's Ennis]
[St. Finbarr's Blackpool]
[St. Fiachra's Letterkenny] [St.
Joseph's Finglas] [Cara Park Coolock] [St. Oliver's Clondalkin] [St.
Basil's Tallaght]
[Sandy Road Galway] [Madonna
House Ballinasloe] [Ballygar Galway]
[St. Brendan's Loughrea] [St.
Benin's Tuam] [St Anne's Killarney]
[St. Canice's Portlaoise] [St.
Joseph's Carrick-on-Shannon] [Fealeside
Abbeyfeale] [Riverside Rathkeale]
[St. Mel's Longford] [Tara
Dundalk]
[St. Catherine's Ballina] [Navan]
[Birr] [St. Colmcille's Tullamore]
[Roscommon]
[Youth Dev Proj Thurles] [Shannon
Bank Athlone] [Mullingar] [Ross
Youth New Ross]
[St. Kieran's Bray] [Centre
of Education Wicklow]
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