Speech by Ceann Comhairle John O Donoghue TD at Opening of World Adventure Race and Festivals at Dingle Pier on Saturday 14th June at 5 pm
A Dhaoine Uaisle go léir,
Is cúis mhór áthais dom a bheith in bhúr dteannta anseo inniu chun tús a chur leis na himeachtai a bhainneann leis An Turas Mór. Ba mhaith liom buíochas ó chroí a ghabháil le lucht eagraithe na hocáide seo as cuireadh a thabhairt dom an seoladh a dhéanamh. Beidh an Rás á chraoladh ar fud an domhain agus, dá bhrí sin, is cinnte rachaidh an tionscadal chun tairbhe don cheantar ar fad i dtaca le turasóireacht de.
Ba mhaith liom comhghairdeas a dhéanamh le gach duine a bhí agus atá bainteach leis.
It gives me great pleasure to be here with you today to officially open this World Adventure Series Race and also launch the exciting range of related festivals that compliment this great adventure. As most of you will know An Turas Mor is a demanding five day adventure race over the toughest of conditions. Athletes will travel a gruelling 600 kilometre course over mountains, sea and lake covering the peninsulas and harsh landscapes of Kerry and West Cork.
This marks the end of months of preparation by a dedicated team of professionals and the start of an incredible event that will trace a remarkable journey throughout the five bays and peninsulas of the South West over our wildest land and seascapes and our rich heritage and history.
I know that the hardworking and committed team who have been working night and day developing and driving this ambitious project forward must feel very proud to have reached this moment. I’m sure that you Con, Brendan, Vanessa and all the others who got involved with such passion and commitment are proud to be part of this undertaking which I believe will deliver a fantastic week. It will showcase the very best we have to offer to the international visitors and assembled media. And it will also be a catalyst to energise and hopefully help develop a legacy of sustainability in rural communities.
The vision behind the Turas is ambitious in so many ways. On one hand, it is a mission encompassing a three-year plan to establish Ireland on the world adventure racing map; breathing life back into the areas known as rural or adventure tourism through this dynamic adventure challenge that so many great athletes have taken on. Athletes from 14 different countries will test their strength and endurance over the Cork and Kerry mountains and push themselves to the limit for their sport of adventure racing.
On another level, the Turas is about our community, about a community celebrating place and people. It’s about the powerful landscapes which shape us; it’s about our heritage, history and archaeology, as we show ourselves to the world through the power of television and the internet.
As somebody who has had responsibility for tourism development in this country when I was Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism I can say that all this clearly links in with our national and regional tourism strategies.
I don’t think anyone doubts the great effort and the difficult journey that you made to get to this stage.There are many people who deserve thanks. Many people have supported this undertaking from the outset and have been working tirelessly in both the foreground and the background to reach this point here today.
You have created something which is deeply connected and integrated with your own place and its people. You gathered round you a team of extraordinary people. I know you gathered friends, neighbours, community activists and brought all kinds of professional skills together to make this happen.
You have brought some of the most extraordinary athletes in the
world to our shores; men and women who will travel more than 600kms over the five peninsulas and bays of the southwest in some 90 hours. You have brought their families and friends and scores of media from North American, from across Europe and Australasia. And we welcome each one of them.
It truly is an enormous event. Not only is there a 5 day race - in itself a huge task - there is also a fantastic programme of activities planned and organised all across the region each day and night as this event passes through the communities during the race week.
Activities include cultural and food tours, guided walks, fishing or kayaking trips and much more.
The evening events look exciting and special: world renowned musicians on the pier overlooking the harbour and mountains in Schull on Monday night; the Féile na Tine in Gougán Barra on Tuesday evening which promises to be a special night in a very special place. You have community driven events all along the way from a seafood in Killcrohane, to a traditional night in Sneem, to a soiree of music an poetry on Valentia island and Cahirciveen. There are many more events planned along the way culminating in an enormous Summer Solstice festival in the open air at the Gap of Dunloe on the final night.
Adventure racing is a new and increasingly popular sport. Men and women compete with each other over nature’s wild and beautiful terrain. They struggle with harsh environments. Adventure athletes are drawn to wild places in nature. They face the toughest challenges in the roughest terrain.
The vision behind An Turas Mór means that Ireland will host three Adventure Racing World Series races over 2008, 2009 and 2010 and in doing so, bring rural communities along the Atlantic sea-board together to celebrate our heritage and wild landscapes.
During these events I am sure many stories will emerge not only around human endurance but out of the riches of our heritage, history, music and art and the visitors will also participate in contemporary Irish life. These experiences and events will reach world wide audiences through the power of television and modern digital media.
I must pay special tribute to the Directors and management team Dr Brendan O Brien, Vanessa Lawrenson and of course Con Moriarty.
Finally I would like to sincerely compliment everybody involved and I know there were many people and organisations who have given great commitment to this groundbreaking event and of course I wish all those who participate an enjoyable, successful and safe journey.
Thank You