This article is from page 59 of the 2010-03-02 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 59 JPG
HUNDREDS of people joined the party last week for the official open- ing of the building that the Irish built.
Villagers rubbed shoulders with high government officials.
During Mass, Fr Martin Keane’s niece, Roisin, played traditional Irish airs on the flute.
After Mass – at which the chief celebrant was Bishop Willie Walsh – the pople of Migombani laid on en- tertainment with traditional dances and songs while children from the primary school and the school for the blind provided refreshments.
Among the VIP guests were the Archbishop of Mombassa, Boniface Nele and the Irish consul to Kenya, Joe O’Brien with his wife, Gay.
In his homily, Fr Martin Keane said that it was “‘a very emotional day. It’s the climax of what has been a great event and what is very important is the local workers and the Irish did it together. You spoke a common l|an- guage — not Swahili or English but the language of Meitheal.”
Bishop Walsh told the congrega- tion that “we should see our own strengths and if we take anything away from here it should be the sense of the depth of love which this has brought out in people.”
Volunteers sang the Irish national anthem as the plaque commemorat- ing the work was unveiled and Con- sul Joe O’Brein ceremonially planted Ea Keron
He said that in Ireland “so lit- tle is seen of the good work which the Irish do overseas. The work you have done here will go much further than you know. We are very short in Kenya of properly trained crafts- men. This morning I saw the best craftwork I have seen since I came to Mombassa.”