I am delighted to be with you here today. My special thanks to Joe Dunne, Vice President and the members of the Probus 97 Club for the kind invitation to address the 2002 All Ireland Probus Rally here in lovely Tralee.

I welcome this opportunity to meet with so many people who would easily put the rest of us to shame - fit and active retired people whose love of life, faith in community and joy in each others company has made Probus one of the fastest growing organisations in the world. In a little over 30 years, the organisation has spread from the United Kingdom to countries as far afield as Australia and New Zealand. And here at home there are 117 clubs spread throughout the island, each one of them evidence of the vitality, talent, vision and generosity of those whose younger lives were characterised by hard work and often hard times.

Retirement was hard-earned and few people have as deep an understanding of the preciousness of time itself as you have. Free from the tyranny of schedules, of clocking in and out, there is time for other things, time for the self, time for family and friends. But there can also be a vacuum, as the space occupied by the workplace, its daily drama, the friendships, the focus, becomes a gap to be filled by other things, other people. With you into retirement goes a lifetime of distilled wisdom and experience, a store of memories, values and reflections which have a lot of mileage left in them and much good yet to accomplish. Finding ways of putting those resources to work effectively for young and not so young alike is an important challenge, for a world that shuts off that resource is as impoverished as it is wasteful.

In his beautiful novel about the Korean War - entitled "I Am The Clay", the author Chaim Potok tells the story of an elderly couple, fleeing for their lives from the invading North Koreans, along with thousands of others, across icy dangerous mountains. They waken each morning to find the road littered with the dead bodies of their fellow refugees - dead from cold and hunger. Scavenging for firewood and food becomes an all day obsession, an all day need. The rickety old handcart they use to help them cross the mountain, to carry their bedding and bits of firewood is utterly essential to their survival. En route they meet a badly injured abandoned child. The old woman nurses him back to life against thee old man’s better judgement. He is angry because the boy has to be fed and food is scarce. He is weak and has to be carried in the cart. Miraculously the boy grows strong. The wheel falls off the cart.

All three are in danger of dying because they cannot go on to safety without it. The old man knows how to fix it but hasn’t the energy to scavenge for the materials he needs. The young boy has no idea how to fix it but has the strength to gather the materials. Together old man, young boy, they fix the cart - they make it to safety together. On their own, none would have survived but with the wisdom of the old and the strength of the young, one willing to teach and the other to learn, each willing to work together, a formidable partnership changed all their lives - created new chances, fresh opportunities.

Organisations like Probus enable people to build bridges, across generations, across social divides, and across cultural divisions - opening up new opportunities, new hopes for old and young. As we all work to create a decent, caring and equal society for all ages, a fully inclusive society in which all citizens, irrespective of age, can enjoy fulfilling lives, I commend and applaud Probus for your commitment to improving all aspects of the lives of older people. You energise and affirm our older citizens, give shape to their self-belief and voice to their insights.

Days like today are important for they give us the opportunity to acknowledge the wonderful contribution of our older generation to building the Ireland of today - an Ireland that is prosperous, confident and forward looking. The prosperity we now have would not have been possible had it not been for the sacrifices and commitment of our parents and their parents before them. In times of little opportunity, with few choices they worked, scrimped, saved and dreamed of a better life for their children and grandchildren. That dream has come true for many Irish people and you have played your very significant part in making that dream a reality. I heard an old Irish sean-fhocal quoted at the Arbour Hill 1916 commemoration Mass last week- it was one I had not heard before but it strikes me as very apt today - those who drink the water should remember with gratitude those who dug the well.

Today I am among the well-diggers. And I am one of many thousands grateful for the care you took of our future. I am proud too that through Probus your work of care continues. May it bring each fulfilment and the peace of heart and mind you deserve and we would all wish for you. Organisations like Probus are created and sustained by the doers of this world, the people who see a need and decide to get on with meeting that need themselves. Tralee is a typical example and I would like to pay tribute to Donal J. O’Sullivan of Tralee Rotary Club who was responsible for founding Probus here in Tralee; the fact that there are now 5 Probus clubs in Tralee bears testimony to his hard work and dedication. It also shows how big a need there was and how lucky we are to have so many "doers" among us. Without them the gaps would still be there and every gap would be a waste of time and talent. But the story is very different, thanks to Probus.

I wish you all long life, good health and happiness in the years ahead and I hope you have time to savour the many delights the ‘Kingdom’ county has to offer.

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First created: 12^th March  2000;  Last modified: 4th December 2009