Michéal O Muircheartaigh, RTE’s ‘Voice of Gaelic Games, delivered the fourth Cormac McAnallen leadership Lecture in Saint Catherine’s College, Armagh. In welcoming the speaker to the school, Principal Deirdre McDonald explained that the annual Lecture is a valuable opportunity for Sixth Form students from local schools to be challenged to rise to the call of leadership. She also welcomed guests who included Minister Conor Murphy, representatives from the world of Sport, Education and Politics, members of the McAnallen family and the Committee of Campa Chórmaic and the Cormac Trust. Mrs McDonald paid tribute to Michéal Ó Muircheartaigh for the part he played in shaping Modern Ireland by promoting Sport and the Arts.

In his address to the young people Michéal O Muircheartaigh urged them to follow the example of Cormac McAnallen who:-
“Conjured up visions of the possible and set yardsticks for its achievement, with the acumen to study and analyse matters …..
Cormac was concerned about others and sought to make friends and he was willing to set an example through his own actions. And he combined all of this and more with the charisma that is part of the make-up of all good leaders.”

He gave an example of the innate sense of responsibility and service that Cormac possessed:
“As you know, Cormac was a leading member of the Ireland team of Gaelic footballers that travelled to Australia in October 2003 to play against a team of Australian Rules footballers under agreed compromise rules. Nobody appreciated the honour of representing his country more than he did….. I was present on behalf of RTE and for me one of the lingering images of that trip was Cormac’s decision to return home once the second test was over. He decided to forego a week of Australian hospitality on the basis that his students in Saint Catherine’s College might benefit some little iota from his early return ”
Leadership such as that shown by Cormac is a commodity that society needs in abundance if progress is to be made, and he appealed to the youth in the audience to respond positively to the challenges they see around them. Alluding to the leadership qualities of the Armagh footballers in recent times he added:
“And I must say that Armagh’s sense of responsibility during their reign as All Ireland Champions was exemplary and noted by many. My sentiments are the exact same in relation to the magnificent ambassadors that emanated from Tyrone in this decade also.”

The audience enjoyed many anecdotes from the sporting world, interspersed with old Irish proverbs as Michéal O Muircheartaigh illustrated the point that leadership requires courage, personal sacrifice and dedication. He spoke of the power of ‘togetherness’, which had achieved so much in Northern Ireland in recent years and he called on the youth to build on this to secure a better future for our country.

He cautioned against blind allegiance to a cause and encouraged acquisition of knowledge on both sides of an issue before coming to a judgement on an individual or a philosophy.
“Above all, set out to influence through example and endeavour.”

He cited equality of educational opportunities, poverty reduction and the promotion of human rights as issues which require attention as we strive for a more peaceful, prosperous and just world.

In his concluding remarks he cautioned against fear of failure and told his audience that they should engage with others when problems emerge:
“A quiet act of courage in seeking help is also a brand of leadership to be greatly admired.”

The event concluded with the presentation of a defibrillator to the school by Mrs Brigid McAnallen on behalf of the Cormac Trust.