PRESIDENT MARY McAleese officially opened Cricklewood Homeless Concern's new centre yesterday on the second day of her two-day visit to London.
The President said it was a real privilege to see the new facilities and to experience for herself "its warm welcome for those who cross its threshold in need of its services".
The President said the building was designed first and foremost with its service users in mind. However, it would not be just a building to them "but a home and not just a room among strangers but a place at the heart of a caring community".
A lot of thoughtfulness had gone into the design and decor, and just as much again into the kind of care that service users would experience from a wonderful, dedicated, professional team of workers and volunteers.
"Many of our large Irish community in London found their way to Cricklewood and Kilburn, for they knew that here they would hear familiar voices, meet people from home and be welcomed as family and as clan," President McAleese recalled.
These supports were "so important - especially during the lean years of huge migration from Ireland when there was so little economic opportunity at home".
"Ireland's emigrant family helped one another to cope and between them they made a huge contribution to many aspects of life in Britain," she said.
The President observed that today there are over 100 MPs of Irish background, with Irish men and women and their families to be found in every walk of life.
"The vast majority got on well but, as in every family, there were those who faced major difficulties in their lives and we know that the strains of emigrant life, for some, ended up in a struggle with isolation, mental ill-health, substance abuse and homelessness," she said. "The culture of care for one another is still very robust and very much alive and, over many visits to Britain over the years, I have seen time and again how our big Irish family keeps watch over its care and, in particular, those in need of looking after."