This is a country for old men — let’s show support and solidarity

It is crucial that we take time to acknowledge and bridge the gaps through which some of our people are falling into isolation, writes President Mary McAleese.

ON my inauguration in 2004, I committed myself to “nurture and celebrate commitment to community, to responsible citizenship and to encourage self-belief among the most marginalised”. I have been privileged, as president, to witness the vast range and depth of activities being undertaken, throughout the length and breadth of this island, to promote community and civic spirit, the essential building blocks of a healthy, balanced society.

Nowhere is community and social capital more important than in our rural communities, which so often find themselves at the sharp end of economic downturns. Ireland is a country that, for centuries, was drained of the talent and genius of its young people for reasons of persecution or economic hardship. Rural Ireland, was particularly affected by emigration that led to a decline in population, mirrored by a decline in opportunities, potential and growth.