Write a commentPresident Mary McAleese was the Special Guest of Honour at the Newry Chamber of Commerce & Trade’s Annual Business Lunch on Tuesday 10th May in the Canal Court Hotel, Newry.
President McAleese received a rapturous welcome from the 220 guests who attended the event which was held in her honour to acknowledge her highly successful Ambassadorial role as President of Ireland as her term in Office draws to a close later this year.
President McAleese delivered a compelling, thought provoking and inspiring keynote speech to the captivated audience. President McAleese hailed Newry as a city of courage and creativity’.
She stated, ‘it is always a great pleasure to be here in Newry and to witness the wonderful transformation that has taken place in what was once a small town and is now a thriving gateway city and a vital regional hub’.
President McAleese described Newry as ‘an energetic place to be, a confident city which has left a troubled past behind and can now look optimistically to the future’.
President McAleese attributed the transformation down to ‘the hard work, energy, foresight and determination of its people’. She concluded, ‘the Newry of today, this confident, forward-looking, flourishing city is a very different place from the troubled, struggling town many of us can remember from not so long ago. As the body representing business people in this city, Newry Chamber of Commerce has played no small part in this remarkable transformation. I would like to thank Newry Chamber of Commerce, and all of the local business and voluntary communities who have contributed so much to progressing Newry into the successful bustling city we have today’.
Ms Orla Jackson, Chief Executive of Newry Chamber of Commerce & Trade stated, ‘We, in the Newry Business Community were delighted that the President of Ireland accepted our invitation to attend this event. President McAleese has been an inspiration to the people of Ireland, both north and south of the Border; she has helped bridge deep divides and has been an exemplary Ambassador for the country. It was an honour and a privilege to host this special event in her honour’.
This event has been generously sponsored by the Glen Dimplex Group. Speaking on behalf of Glen Dimplex, Dr Martin Naughton, Executive Chairman stated, ‘we were very proud to sponsor this important and high profile Newry Chamber event. The Glen Dimplex Group has its roots in Newry. Our founding business at Glen Electric was launched in Newry in 1973. Since that time we have maintained a strong presence in the local economy providing quality manufacturing jobs across a range of sectors’.
