Europe Entices Minister Treacy at Bewley’s Café!

Minister of State, Noel Treacy., T.D., spoke today of how the richness of all Europe's cultures shows that the European Union is so much more than just an economic and political edifice. Speaking at the “Europe Entices” event in Bewley's Café, Dublin, the Minister said:

“56 years ago today, Robert Schuman made the famous declaration which led eventually to the creation of the European Union.  It is fitting that we should gather here this morning in Bewley's Café under the theme of “Europe entices.”   I like the idea of Café d'Europe.  It reminds us that Europe is not simply an economic and political edifice.  It evokes the richness of all our cultures – our languages, including Irish, our music, our art, the craic agus ceol in all its European varieties. Europe entices and rewards on many levels”

Minister Treacy was joined at the event by Anthony Cronin, the well known author and member of Aosdána, the Ambassador of Austria representing the EU Presidency, Mr Martin Territt, Director of the European Commission's office in Ireland as well as a lively audience of school children and other invited guests.

Referring to our strong cultural links with the rest of Europe, the Minister said:

“Ireland has always had strong cultural links with the rest of Europe.  Among the earliest influences from Celtic Europe on Ireland is the Hallstatt culture, based around the beautiful alpine village in the Salzkammergut. Some centuries later, our religious travelled in the other direction.  The impact they made in Austria is reflected in the existence of the Schottenkirche in the centre of Vienna.”

Concluding, the Minister celebrated how the unity of Europe is nurtured in Ireland by the presence of other Europeans in our midst:

“Today's Ireland is being exposed to the modern cultures of our newly-acceded EU partners as young Poles, Latvians, Lithuanians and others come here to live and work.  Polish language newspapers can now be seen on Irish newsstands.   Continental European languages can be heard spoken every day on the streets of Ireland's towns and cities.  The presence here of communities from other European countries affords us an opportunity to appreciate the indispensable diversity of European civilisation and to celebrate and nurture those things that unite us.”

9 May 2006
ENDS++