Sir, - I read with enthusiasm and approval your Editorial of September 11th and would like to endorse your opinion that President McAleese conducted her state visit to Australia in an exemplary fashion. Throughout Australia, on a hectic schedule which would test the stamina and endurance of the most inveterate of travellers, she gave speech after speech in an informative, warm and enthusiastic way which has made a real difference here.
President McAleese has put before the Australian people at a challenging time, before a general election, a vision of a bright, young and vigorous country, one which elects its President directly and participates openly in a community of nations in Europe. I felt very proud of this. As she said herself, Australia is the most Irish of nations outside Ireland, with one third of the population claiming Irish ancestry. The call for the Irish people to throw off victimhood and to assert Irish identity confidently throughout the world is a beacon to Australia, a country reasserting her splendid policies of tolerance, diversity and what is rightly called here "the fair go".
Ireland should be proud of her President, as Australia has been proud to celebrate the wisdom of the Irish people in voting her as Head of State in a republic now 50 years old. - Yours, etc.,
Dr Brian Kennedy,
Director,
National Gallery of Australia,
Canberra,
Australia.