Meeting the President of Ireland, Catherine Conolly
On Monday, May 18, our Chair had the honour of attending a reception at the Embassy of Ireland in Great Britain, hosted by Ambassador Martin Fraser and his wife, Deirdre, on the occasion of President Catherine Connolly's inaugural visit to London.
President Connolly addressed a room of Irish diaspora representatives from community, culture, politics and business in both Irish and English.
The Irish contribution
She spoke about the enduring relationship between Britain and Ireland, and the immense contribution of the diaspora, including the £4.8 billion sent home in remittances between 1940 and 1970, often by people who had very little themselves.
She also acknowledged that women consistently outnumbered men in Irish emigration statistics, and that they went on to become the nurses and doctors who helped build the NHS. And that legacy lives on with Irish women in London trailblazing in business, life sciences, tech, culture, the arts, food and so much more.
One phrase that stood out: use your voice, not just your language, to stand for what you believe in.
Yvonne found herself thinking about Mary Robinson becoming the first female President of Ireland. She broke the glass ceiling for a generation of young Irish teenagers and women like me, and made us believe that we could aim high and succeed. If you'd told my 18-year-old self that one day I'd be in the company of the President at the Irish Embassy in London, I'd have pinched myself.
It was a true honour to be there representing Women's Irish Network UK and the incredible community of Irish women we are so proud to champion in London.
