A Day To Remember
The
President of Ireland Mary Mc Aleese visited Kilbarrack Coast Community
Programme (KCCP) on the 1st
April 2003 and it was a great
uplifting
experience.
The
President arrived at 11am and was greeted by Michael Finn (Chairperson
KCCP).
She received a rapturous applause when she entered the community hall
from one
hundred and fifty people present. The Nazarene Drama group then
performed a
six-minute extract from their passion play. The President accompanied
by Marian
Clarke (Co-ordinator KCCP) then viewed a number of display stands which
included KCCP, Youth Matters, Kilbarrack United F.C. and Naomh Bharrog
G.A.A.
stopping in turn to talk to those involved. Mary Mc Aleese then held a
private
meeting with the participants of the FAS funded drugs rehabilitation
Community
Employment Programme. When she returned to the main hall she spoke for
ten
minutes and was thanked on behalf of the community by Lorraine
Mulligan. Megan
Murray from Youth Matters then presented the President with a bunch of
flowers
and the morning was completed by Dance X the local hip-hop group who
put on an
energetic display of their dancing. The President’s warmth of
character was
only matched by the welcome she received from the people of Kilbarrack.
In
her
speech the President said that a community is only as strong as the
personalities that make it up. She said that Kilbarrack was a beacon of
hope to
other communities who were setting out to tackle the drugs problem in
their
areas. She was particularly impressed by the logo of KCCP, which
incorporates
the Brent Geese. It is said that the Brent Geese travel from the coast
of
Canada each year 3,000miles to Kilbarrack. It is said that if one bird
is
injured or tired it drops from the flock. Immediately two others drop
with it,
then when the bird recovers all three re-join a new flock. This is what
Kilbarrack and KCCP stands for a community looking after it’s
own. KCCP efforts
have been dedicated to helping those who have become involved with
drugs and to
strive in every way to make sure that the young people of the area are
given
half a chance and hopefully they do not choose drugs as an option.
People
from
FAS and the Health Board were present and they were praised for their
contribution to the area. It was great day a day to remember.
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