IRISHMEN AND IRISHWOMEN: In the name of God and our dear country we proudly acknowledge the Irish men, women and children of previous generations whose courage and bravery won for us an independent sovereign state 100 years ago. We want to ensure that their sacrifices were not in vain.

We declare that the island of Ireland will be a peaceful, just and fair place for people to live in. There will be equal opportunities for Irish citizens to fulfil their hopes and dreams by living in a society where everyone is respected, valued and treated with dignity. We declare that our nation will cherish all her children equally whether young or old, male or female.

We believe that everyone has a right to a good standard of education to enable them to achieve their full potential and realise their dreams.This must be a priority for our nation. We recognise   the wide variety of gifts, creativity and skills of our citizens and will encourage them all. We call on our people to use their education, talents and abilities for the benefit of all.

We will continue to nurture our culture, the Irish language, our traditional music, song and dance and Gaelic games. These show our unique heritage and are a gift to ourselves and to the world. We will use them to educate, enlighten and entertain us in good times and in bad.

We welcome all new Irish citizens and will continue to be a fully inclusive nation working together for the well-being and protection of its entire people, with particular emphasis on the most vulnerable in our society. We believe in respect for all races, nationalities and faiths. Our people have travelled throughout the world making their homes and building new communities and nations. We will make our new citizens equally welcome and remind our emigrants that they will always be welcome to return home.

We believe that every man, woman and child should have the right to a comfortable home and a safe place to rest their heads. Níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin. We demand that the resources of our nation be used to ensure that no one lives in fear of homelessness. We believe that we should respect those less fortunate than ourselves and that we should all respect our fellow Irishmen and Irishwomen. We have a proud history of generosity and we promise to continue this at home and abroad.

We pledge to keep our beautiful country green and clean for future generations to enjoy. We are the children of today but we are the adults of tomorrow. One day we may have children of our own and we want them to be able to see the beauty of our country. We will promote the use of renewable energy whenever possible to help prevent global warming and climate change.

We believe that we should all work together as a team to make Ireland a safe and a happy place to live. We will face many challenges but we will face them together. We promise to do our best to solve these challenges for the benefit of everyone. Only by working as one can we hope to succeed.  Ní neart go cur le chéile. Bail ó Dhia ar ár dtír uilig.

Signed on behalf of St. Joseph’s National School, Woodford, Co. Galway.