Enzo Farinella di Irlandiani.com insieme al Ministro degli Esteri irlandese Dermot Ahern (foto).

St. Columbanus
St. Columbanus left Ireland in 585, on an adventure which would take him to modern day Britain, France, Germany, Switzerland and, finally, northern Italy.  In all, a journey of twenty-seven years from Ireland to Italy. 
Along the way, he preached the Christian gospel and founded monastic communities.  As well as centres of religious devotion, these monasteries were centres of culture and learning.  They played a vital role in preserving and reviving learning in a Europe still coming to terms with the fall of the Roman Empire.  The monastery which Columbanus founded here in Bobbio became one of the great seats of learning in mediaeval Europe, with one of the largest libraries of the Middle Ages.  In addition, the disciples of St. Columbanus are credited with the foundation of over one hundred monasteries throughout Europe. 
In spreading a love of learning and preaching Christianity, Columbanus and his many followers were not only missionaries; they were, in many respects, ambassadors for our small island, earning for it the proud title of the ‘Island of Saints and Scholars’.  We in Ireland today look back upon the days of Columbanus and his contemporaries with considerable pride. 

Europe
Indeed, the life of Columbanus underlines the extent to which we in Ireland have been intimately connected with the rest of Europe throughout our history.  We Irish have been moulded by events in the rest of Europe; and we, in turn, have helped shape events in what today we proudly call our common European home.
Nowhere is this more evident than in our joint membership of the European Union.  This year we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome.  It is particularly important to acknowledge the significant benefits which EU membership has brought to our two peoples. 
Columbanus set out from Ireland over 1400 hundred years ago with a profound sense of faith, deep courage and a vision to create a better world.  Fifty years ago, the leaders of the six founding nations of the European Union – Italy among them – set out to create a better Europe.  Like Columbanus, they demonstrated faith, courage and belief in a better Europe. 
We in Ireland were part of the first stage of EU enlargement, when we joined what is now the European Union in 1973.  Membership of the EU has served to enrich and strengthen our relations with Italy in almost every field of endeavour.  It is important, however, to remind ourselves that present day Irish-Italian relations are built on the solid foundation laid so many centuries ago by Columbanus and the many others like him.  Our relationship is, above all, one of people to people. 
Mr. Mayor, as you are aware, it has often been suggested that the European Union should have a patron saint.  I am sure that you and your fellow citizens of Bobbio would agree with me that few candidates would be better qualified than St. Columbanus.  Indeed, in a real sense he is already the patron saint of Europe.  He possessed a vocation as European minded as it was religious.  Long before the reality of a European Union began to take shape, he embodied this reality in a profoundly human way.  His world was very much a European world – characterized by an openness to different peoples and places, which transcended the divisions of his time.

Ireland – Italy Exchange
The strength of Irish-Italian relations can be measured in many ways.  I firmly believe that the clearest sign of the deepening of our relationship in recent years is the increasing numbers of Italians visiting Ireland and of Irish people visiting Italy.   
Following in the footsteps of Columbanus, Irish people have, for many centuries, come to Italy for study, for pilgrimages and for adventure.  I am especially pleased to note, Mr. Mayor, that last year 28,000 of your compatriots visited Ireland for the specific purpose of studying English and learning about Irish culture.  Indeed, Italians are the largest single group of students in Ireland studying English. 
There are also, of course, the many young Irish and Italian students who, through the Erasmus and Socrates programmes of the European Union, have undertaken part of their university studies in either Ireland or Italy.  It is something of which Columbanus – a great scholar and a great European – would have been particularly proud. 
These exchanges between our two peoples – especially younger people – are at the heart of Irish-Italian relations. 
Ireland and the wider world
As you will be aware, Mr. Mayor, over recent years Ireland has undergone profound economic and social change.  However, what I would term the spirit of St. Columbanus, has not changed.  In 2006, Irish Aid – the development section of my Department – was able to provide assistance to over 90 countries.  In July of this year I had the opportunity to visit the World Food Programme’s base in Brindisi.  Thanks to the generosity of the Italian Government and people, the international community – Ireland included – is establishing a Rapid Reaction Force which will bring together highly skilled people to strengthen our collective response to disasters.  We are also pre-positioning vital supplies for rapid response.  The Irish Government and people are as committed as ever to assisting others in need.  I have no doubt that Columbanus, whose life was one of service, would heartily approve. 

Freedom of the City
Mr. Mayor, may I conclude my brief remarks by thanking you and the people of Bobbio for the great honour of conferring on me the Freedom of the City.  As I stand here today, I can fully appreciate why, after a life of much travel and adventure, St. Columbanus should establish his last community here in this beautiful place.  He could not have found a more hospitable home from home or a more generous people. 
On behalf of my wife Maeve and myself and all my delegation, please accept our heartfelt gratitude for an honour which I will always cherish. 

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