Sunshine and smiles as President officially opens Tullamore's Esker Arts Centre
After an arduous campaign which spanned more than a decade, it was a day of sunshine and smiles when Uachtaráin na hÉireann, Michael D. Higgins, travelled to Tullamore to perform the official opening of the town’s long-awaited arts centre, Esker Arts, this week.
Accompanied by his wife, Sabina, earlier today (Tuesday, June 6) President Higgins told a capacity audience of invited guests that he was delighted to honour a promise he made to members of the Tullamore Community Arts Centre committee when he first met them 12 years ago. “I promised to return to open the centre when it was completed. I'm so delighted to do that today” he said.
The new facility was described as “a jewel in the artistic crown of the midlands region” by the Chief Executive of Offaly County Council, Anna Marie Delaney, who acknowledged the many people who had “worked tirelessly” over a long number of years to bring an arts centre to Tullamore. She added that the presence of President Higgins at the official opening would go “a very long way to showcasing Esker Arts and our beautiful county town to a wider audience.”
The Chairperson of Esker Arts Board of Directors and Tullamore native, Conor Brady, was given the honour of officially welcoming President Higgins and his wife to the new state-of-the-art facility and he was fulsome in his praise of the President’s lifelong dedication to the arts, and said he had “effectively shaped the artistic and cultural landscape of modern Ireland.”
Mr. Brady, who is a former Editor of the Irish Times, added that the “vision and determination” of President Higgins, as the State’s first Minister for the Arts, had created “a rich legacy” not least of which was the development of a network of arts centres right around the State. Therefore, it was fitting that he “should be here today to mark the official opening of this wonderful facility” he said.
A great many people contributed to the creation of the Esker Arts Centre, and Conor Brady paid fulsome tribute to former Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, who was in attendance with his wife, Mary, for the role he played in the allocation of “significant capital funding.”
He also mentioned Offaly County Council who “generously and bravely” supported the project “through good times and bad” and he singled out the members and board of the Tullamore Community Arts Centre who had, for over a decade “toiled ceaselessly” to bring an arts centre to the county town. “Those of us currently involved here are standing upon their shoulders” said Mr. Brady “county Offaly and Tullamore will forever be in their debt.”
During a thought-provoking 17-minute speech, which was punctuated with many humorous anecdotes, President Higgins referred to his decision as Minister for the Arts to embark on a programme of building arts centres around the country. “I was once asked during an interview how would I feel when all these white elephants are empty” he said, adding that the reality has been that all these facilities are being “overwhelmingly used.”
The formal speeches were followed by a number of stunning performances by local artists including spoken word poet, Cormac Lally; singer/songwriter Tolu Makay, musician Donal Lunny, and the young members of Music Generation Offaly.
President Higgins then unveiled a special plaque to commemorate the official opening of Esker Arts which was designed by Michelle O’Donnell from Glasshammer Studios in Rhode, who is an internationally-renowned glass artist. Ms. O’Donnell modelled the glass plaque on a casting of an actual esker from county Offaly.
See full report in this week’s edition of the Offaly Independent, which will be in the local shops this Friday, June 9