News 18. 3. 2010

Saint Patrick´s message from President McAleese

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.

Václav Bernard