THREE Mayo children were among a crowd that gathered in Dublin recently to celebrate the 70th birthday of the Red Cross in Ireland. Ilena Brady (12) from Claremorris, and Ciaran Cooney (12) and Ashling Keane (11) from Newport, were in the company of President Mary McAleese at the landmark ceremony.
This year, the Irish Red Cross celebrates seven decades in existence and to mark the special occasion, they welcomed President McAleese to the party. It was the youngest members of the Red Cross in Ireland who came together for the function and the Mayo children were in their element at the special ceremony.
Celebrating its birthday and planning for the future involvement of more young people in the organisation, hundreds of children from five years up to the age of 17 gathered in Dublin. Congratulating the young people, President McAleese - who is by virtue of her office President of the Irish Red Cross - said they were special because they look for ways to solve problems. “Here are the people who are prepared to make themselves uncomfortable by going out to meetings, training and fundraising because they care. You are the kids who care enough to get up and do something,” she beamed.
Continuing, she stated that right around the world, anywhere the Red Cross symbol is seen, everybody knows that it means there is someone who cares who is coming to their aid.
Thanking the President on behalf of the Irish Red Cross, the Chairman David Andrews said the organisation had “flourished under her patronage”. The Chairman of the Irish Red Cross Youth Working Group noted the rising numbers of young people who are joining the Irish Red Cross. He urged them to “be at the fore-front of change”.
The President walked around the venue, meeting the children and viewing stands displaying a variety of youth activities and interests. She was shown the Humanity Patchwork Quilt that had been created by the youngsters, and stood to listen to a group of children singing. When a group of young children - who learned sign language through the Red Cross - signed to her, they were thrilled when the President signed back.
Irish Red Cross: facts and figures
¦ THIS is also the year that marks the 150th anniversary of the battle that inspired the foundation of the first Red Cross in Switzerland and subsequently the first-ever rules of war - the Geneva Conventions.
¦ The Irish Red Cross has branches in every county in Ireland, 145 in total, amounting to some 6,000 members. New members are always welcome.
¦ Young people who join the Irish Red Cross can be active members of their own communities in the knowledge that they are part of a wider global force for good - the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement which has 97 million members working to improve the lives of people in 186 countries around the world.
¦ The first time the Nobel Peace Prize was ever awarded, it went to the founder of the Red Cross, Henry Dunant in 1901. The organisation has since been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on a further three occasions.
¦ Caring for children at home and overseas has always been at the heart of Irish Red Cross activity. Here in Ireland, the Irish Red Cross set up specialist TB prevention units. Overseas it organised a rescue-mission of German children after WWII.
