On June 27th, President Michael D. and Sabina Higgins hosted a Garden Party at the Áras an Uachtaráin to celebrate Creative Arts and Craft. For them, the garden party season is a special time of the year when they welcome many citizens who have contributed in a special way through their talents, work and indeed genius to Irish society.
Áras an Uachtaráin Garden Party
The theme of the presidents speech was ;
“It is Culture that will save the economy, not the Economy that will make Culture possible”
He highlighted “The work of innovative and imaginative Irish craftspeople is receiving wide acclaim on both the national and international stage, reminding us that Irish creativity and our country’s reputation as a world class source for quality and craftsmanship is something in which we all can celebrate and take pride. ”
and lamented the words of his dear friend Noel Browne,
“often saying to me – if every house had but one beautiful object – what a difference it would make, what a source of memory. ”
At Fine Framers, we truly understand the value in preserving memories through Picture Framing… creating tomorrow’s heirlooms… today.
The Presidents speech at the Garden Party can be read here: President’s speech
To mark this great occasion and to show our appreciation, we presented President Michael D. Higgins with his first poem “The Prophets are Weeping” framed.
Garden Party
The President was influenced by the flight of people from northern Iraq and those in flight from the Syrian conflict. The poem reads:
The Prophets are Weeping
To those on the road it is reported that
The Prophets are weeping,
At the abuse
Of their words,
Scattered to sow an evil seed.
Rumour has it that,
The Prophets are weeping,
At their texts distorted,
The death and destruction,
Imposed in their name.
The sun burns down,
On the children who are crying,
On the long journeys repeated,
Their questions not answered.
Mothers and Fathers hide their faces,
Unable to explain,
Why they must endlessly,
No end in sight,
Move for shelter,
for food, for safety, for hope.
The Prophets are weeping,
For the words that have been stolen,
From texts that once offered,
To reveal in ancient times,
A shared space,
Of love and care,
Above all for the stranger.
M.D.H. 2014
