Author: Zoe, Youth Representative
Attending the Opening Ceremony of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU was an honour and a privilege. When I received the invitation email, I was beyond excited and registered for my ID badge almost immediately.
In the lead-up to the event, Mary Clare was in contact with us, letting us know exactly what to expect. When we arrived, she brought us straight to our seats, which we were delighted to see were in the front row. Mary Clare was absolutely amazing, and we can’t thank her enough for her wonderful hospitality.
After a few photos and some waiting, the ceremony began with a wonderful performance by the Dublin Youth Choir and the Defence Forces Band, followed by opening remarks from Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD and António Costa, President of the European Council.
We were then moved by a speech of gratitude and determination from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The final speech of this section was delivered by the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, Simon Harris TD.
The cultural performance was absolutely stunning, featuring the concertina, Cretan lyra, harp, accordion, uilleann pipes, and whistle, along with sean-nós singing by Iarla Ó Lionáird and dancing by Stephanie Keane.
After these performances, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Minister for Defence, Helen McEntee TD, gave a brief but motivating speech, followed by a reading of Beacons at Bealtaine by Seamus Heaney, read by Ruth Negga. This was followed by a moving rendition of Dreams by The Cranberries, performed by Tolü Makay with Colm Mac Con Iomaire, Laoise Kelly, Francesco Turrisi, Seamus Ong, Cormac Begley, and Christina Polycarpou.
Finally, closing remarks were delivered by Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, Thomas Byrne TD. After thunderous applause for a fantastic opening ceremony, we had time to socialise, take photos with EU Youth Delegates, Irish Girl Guides, and other young people in attendance, and were briefly joined by Norma Foley, Minister for Children, Disability and Equality TD. We also posed for photos with Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy.
We then went inside to the State Apartments for brief conversations and networking, where we met EU delegates and fellow Scouts.
I am beyond grateful for the invitation and cannot express my thanks to Emily Denner, Scouting Ireland's Programme Team Chair, for facilitating our appearance, and to my fellow Youth Rep Fionn for calming my nerves at such a high-profile event.
We wish Ireland the very best of luck in its Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
