The Mayor of Donegal has said the visit of Prince Charles to the county will “like a rising a tide, lift all boats.”
Cathaoirleach Cllr Ciaran Brogan was speaking as he addressed more than 200 invited guests at a civic reception to welcome Prince Charles and wife Camilla at the Letterkenny Institute of Technology today.
Cllr Brogan chatted and joked with the Prince of Wales but also spoke about the potential future economic benefits to come Donegal’s way as a result of the royal visit.
Cllr Brogan was joined by Mayor of Letterkenny, Cllr Gerry McMonagle, President of LYIT Paul Hannigan and CEO of Donegal County Council, Seamus Neely in welcoming the royal party.
Addressing the invited guests, the Prince said the relationship between Ireland and Britain is now better than ever.
The Prince told of his great happiness to be back in Ireland and in Co Donegal.
He said the relationship between Britain and Ireland was now better than
ever and the relationship between the communities on the island of Ireland had changed fundamentally since the peace agreement of 1998.
“This is as evident here as anywhere. The border is of the merest consequence.
And Co Donegal, Co Derry or Londonderry and Co Tyrone operate as a single economic entity to the great benefit of their inhabitants.
“So I can only applaud the people of all three counties for proving that it is possible for communities that have been divided for so long to overcome differences and create a peaceful and prosperous life together.
“I do so hope that the example you have set will be copied in other
areas of the world that have suffered so much conflict,” he added.
He described Donegal as “a place of dramatic and beautiful scenery, of music and storytelling, of myth, legend and the Irish language”.
He told those gathered that it was always “the greatest possible pleasure for my wife and I to visit this wonderful country”.
Prince Charles delighted those gathered when he spoke in Irish and said “Tá athas mór orm a bheidh anseo i Leitir Ceanainn.”
Praising the scenery and rich history of Donegal, he added that it was a place “where the link between man and the land is still so well understood”.
The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall were guests of honour at a
civic reception hosted by Donegal County Council, focused on cross-border cooperation and development.
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Charlie Flanagan greeted the royal couple on arrival at Letterkenny Institute of Technology for the event.
He said the visit marked the 21st century friendship between the two countries
and the ever-growing efforts to work together.
“Working together between Britain and Ireland. Working together north
and south on this island. Working together across our open border, between neighbouring counties – indeed between good and friendly neighbours,” he added.
Minister Flanagan described last years visit by the royal couple as “a
powerful demonstration of our two countries’ shared focus on peace and reconciliation”.
He also cited the 21st century links between the two countries, in education,
science and many other walks of life.
“Today, as we assemble in Donegal’s centre of educational excellence,
we further celebrate those 21st century links. In particular, we celebrate the ever-increasing co-operation all across this island – and specifically cross-border partnerships across a broad range of areas between counties Donegal and Derry,” he added.
Minister Flanagan also welcomed the fact that the visit would serve to increase the international profile of Donegal and the north-west as a whole.
During his visit to LYIT, Prince Charles unveiled a plaque rededicating a building to his great friend and artistic mentor Derek Hill.
Chairman of Donegal County Council, Cllr Ciaran Brogan said relationships between Ireland and Britain have never been better and will only get stronger.
“This did not just happen overnight and I want to recognise the huge amount of work that has been done over the years to get to this point.
“Indeed many of our own people over the years have contributed greatly to life in England, Scotland and Wales where they played a key role in many facets of life not least in the building of key infrastructural projects in cities such as London, Luton, Glasgow and Leeds and we are all very proud of them. This is a proud day for all Donegal people across the globe and we are sending out a very positive message.
“Just last year the Scottish Electricity Board recognised the work of the Donegal Tunnel Tigers for their huge work across the country where they brought electricity to all corners of England, Scotland and Wales and indeed to your own Balmoral.
“There will be people from all over the world with a Donegal connection watching these events unfolding on TV and this is a very proud day for them.
“We also have a very strong crossborder relationship here at home in particular with Derry City and Strabane District Council and I want to recognise the contribution of both Chief Executives to this process.
“We have an agreement in place on the North West Gateway which has recently been recognised by the British and Irish Governments and this can only make us stronger and our relationships have never been stronger. This is important for the future development of this region.
“For Donegal a county along the Wild Atlantic Way, tourism is very important to us and one of our unique selling points is our Donegal welcome and this welcome was experienced by the Royal Highnesses when they visited Donegal today.
“It is fitting that we are here in LYIT today as it is an important hub in the life of Donegal from our creative industries, to culture to sport to tourism and to our links with industry.
“Sport, culture and heritage is an important part of life here in Donegal and volunteerism is the cornerstone of our success. We have a tremendous sense of community and volunteerism in Donegal and it has allowed us to punch above our weight in a number of circumstances. I am very proud of the work done by all our volunteers and the greatest strength we have in Donegal is our people.
“I want to conclude by saying that it is an honour for me to welcome you to Letterkenny which is Ireland’s Tidiest Town, an award that we are all very proud of.”
A small crowd of around 20 protestors were kept at a distance by a heavy security blank of up to 200 Gardai at LYIT, part of an estimated team of more than 650 officers deployed for the royal visit.
The Prince later paid a private visit to the late artist’s home Glebe House, saying it would be a very special treat to visit the home of “my old friend and artistic mentor”.
Prince Charles met with LYIT staff and students and a number of entrepreneurs involved in the CoLab incubation and innovation centre for the North West. The centre currently supports 28 companies at LYIT and works on a cross-border basis.
He met with a number of start-up companies including the Arklu Toy Company who started life five years ago by producing two dolls of Prince William and Kate Middleton to mark their wedding.
CEO of Arklu, Ian Harkin, presented Prince Charles with two of the dolls to give to Prince William and wife Kate.
He also met with local food producers involved in the Donegal Coast Initiative and agriculture company Farmflo and was presented with a number of gifts.
Also present at the civic reception were Junior Minister for the Diaspora Joe McHugh, Mayor of Letterkenny Cllr Gerry McGonagle, Olympic athlete Mark English and former RTE chairman Joe Mulholland.
ENDS