President opens new Presbyterian Hall in Greystones

President Mary McAleese spent this afternoon in Greystones where she officially opened a new hall attached to the

President McAleese with her husband, Rev Jim Carson and others in Greystones

Presbyterian Church in the town as well as visiting St. David's Secondary School and meeting members of the Town Council.

Accompanied by her husband Martin, the President enthralled the students in St. David's with her stories about school and stressing the important role played by teachers and staff in discovering the individual talents in each pupil.

She told the students - `Each one of you is unique and you are on a journey into yourselves here in St. David's. By sixth year you will have learned so much and pooled many skills to prepare you for the rest of your lives in the world. It is you commitment to that journey that means so much'.

She said that many young people carry various burdens in relation to their home lives but often suffer in silence because they don't want to appear to be weak. `However, despite these burdens young people make that commitment and are better people for it', the President added.

At the Presbyterian Church, Rev Jim Carson said that the church enjoys a wonderful relationship with other churches in Greystones and it was wonderful for ecumenism that the President agreed to open the new hall.

`We felt we were burdened with financial constraints in providing this hall but the wonderful support we have received from everyone along with Noel McVeigh's commitment to move Heaven and earth to provide the project has seen it come to fruition today', he added.