We know St. Patrick was an immigrant but he was also a volunteer. It is volunteers at home and abroad who not only fly the flag for Ireland on St. Patrick's Day but, all year round, build up and sustain a culture of generosity that enriches life in so many different ways. They are the backbone of our country and they are its heart and its soul. On the 17th March, these volunteers will mobilize under the banner of St. Patrick in a national and international showcase of the committees, the fundraising, the planning, the helping and the daily turning up which are the stock-in-trade of the volunteer.

In this year with its special focus on volunteering and this day of parades, music, dance and colorful spectacle which is so reliant on volunteers, I send my warmest wishes and thanks to all who organize and participate in this great global festival. May everyone have a very happy and very special Saint Patrick's Day 2011.