Robert O'Donnell

For me, Europe began in Ireland 🇮🇪. Today at the conference in Dublin, I shared some personal memories. As a teenager, I visited Ireland several times through a programme for children affected by the Chornobyl disaster. I stayed with Henry and Marian Deane in Roscrea, County Tipperary. I learned English here, and even a little Irish. I discovered another culture. But most importantly, I discovered another way of life. I saw that people could speak freely. That they could disagree with their government without being afraid. I was too young then to understand what democracy really meant. But I could feel what freedom was. That is something you never forget. Ireland helped shape me as a person, my values and my European identity. Long before I learned about the European Union, I experienced European values through ordinary Irish people. Through a family who opened their home to a girl from Belarus. Through neighbours who treated me as one of their own. Ireland also taught me another important lesson: You can love your country, your language and your traditions while remaining open to the world.