Tonight in Ăras an UachtarĂĄin I received my seal of office from the President having been nominated by Simon Harris to serve as Minister for Arts, Culture, Media, Communications and Sport. Iâm really looking forward to the new role and delivering on the Programme for Government.
Last night I officially opened the new All-weather Pitch & flood lighting system at @kerryfcofficial â Mounthawk Park, Tralee. This project was supported by my Department of @deptculturecommssport with funding of nearly âŹ400k.
Congratulations and well done to all involved in the club on the project and I look forward to visiting again soon đ˘đĄ â˝ď¸
â ď¸EVERY VOTE COUNTS - and we need to keep going out on the doors for the next week, to get @seankyne_ into the DĂĄil as a TD for Galway West. 1ď¸âŁ
I was in Listowel last night as part of the 75th anniversary celebrations of @comhaltas . I had the honour of unveiling a specially commissioned plaque to mark Listowelâs hosting of Fleadh Cheoil na hĂireann on 14 occasions from 1970 to 2002. @deptculturecommssport
The 1926 Census, the first of the Irish free state is a mine of information - so much so, that the website has had almost 50m hits since it went live on 18 April! Itâs now being exhibited in @bostoncollege and I would encourage anyone who wants to trace their Irish roots to go and visit it!
The @narireland have done an incredible job, working painstakingly to digitise each record - to preserve and protect the marked pages, bearing witness to those who were alive and accounted for on that night in 1926.
As a struggling, newly independent state we were fighting to pull ourselves together after the difficult years of the civil war. Many people, especially women and children, bore the brunt of this.
The State at the time was willing to survive at any cost, and terrible harms were visited upon innocents in the name of âGodâ, âjusticeâ and âshameâ.
Some of the entries in the #census1926 indicate just how callous and hard times were for so many.
We can now say, that we live in a modern, prosperous and pluralist country - but we must not forget those who sacrificed so much, so that we could thrive.
What an amazing setup the @the_irish_cultural_centre have in Canton, just outside of Boston in Massachusetts.
Thank you so much to Martina & her team, to Paddy from the GAA and to all the ladies who so warmly welcomed me (cĂşpla trĂ Ghaeilge!) and gave us lovely tea and scones along with a tour of the grounds.
Phenomenal work with locals and visitors alike, they are a credit to the community and the wider Irish family đđ¤đ§Ą
A solemn honour and a privilege to give the keynote speech in memory of all those who perished as a result of The Great Hunger. This yearâs international famine commemoration was held in Cohasset, Massachusetts a bittersweet location for those who know the story of the Brig St John. Thanks especially for the warm welcome and support from local people, Ireland doesnât forget.
There are only four such pools in Ireland â three in Dublin and one in Limerick. Mr OâDonovan says it is not acceptable that Cork does not have one.
âIf youâre a kid from Beara or Curragheen, Bishopstown or Youghal, wherever, and you aspire to go to the Olympics, your choices are the University of Limerick, which is going gangbusters, or here in Dublinâ
Great to sit down with John Greene in the Sunday Independent and expand on my vision as Sport Minister for the development and delivery of sports infrastructure around the country. @swimireland
What a stunning example of hope and history colliding with art and architecture - the newly renovated home of @poetryireland is now open to all, as a dedicated cultural space in the North Inner City of Dublin.
Thank you to the @irishheritagetrust and my cabinet colleague @jamesbrownetd for making this a reality. Thank you also to @presidentirl for unveiling this beautiful space and for her words of wisdom and encouragement.
