A Very Special Guest at Hub 21
President Catherine Connolly Visits Hub 21
Photography by Rory Geary.
Hub 21 was honoured to welcome the President of Ireland, Uachtarán na hÉireann, Catherine Connolly, and her husband, Brian McEnery, to its Carrickmacross centre on Monday 2nd November for a very special private visit.
It was a little secret that we had been working away on behind the scenes for the previous three weeks, and one that brought an enormous sense of excitement, pride and celebration to the centre.
The visit came about following an invitation originally extended to President Connolly to attend Hub 21's "Grow. Thrive. Shine" exhibition in March 2026, as part of Down Syndrome Awareness around World Down Syndrome Day. Although the President had been unable to attend at the time, she had indicated that she would love to visit another time. True to her word, she made the journey to Carrickmacross to meet the children, young people, families, staff and volunteers who make Hub 21 what it is today.
Having only recently celebrated our eighth birthday, this was a truly monumental occasion for us. Hub 21 began in 2017 as a small parent-led initiative, established by families who wanted better local supports and opportunities for children with Down syndrome in the North East. The centre officially opened on 21st October 2018, and those founding parents could hardly have imagined that, just eight years later, the President of Ireland would be coming through its doors for a cup of tea!
The visit brought together a wonderful cross-section of the Hub 21 community, including children attending a Music Therapy group and a SMART class, younger children from the baby and toddler group, older school-age children, teenagers, families, past and present Board members, long-standing volunteers, staff, therapists and programme facilitators.
President Connolly and her husband, Brian McEnery, also had the opportunity to sit in and observe both a school age SMART group and a Music Therapy session, giving them a first-hand insight into some of the direct services and supports Hub 21 provides to children and young people with Down syndrome. It was a wonderful opportunity to showcase the work taking place at the centre, from therapeutic interventions to social development and opportunities for children to learn, communicate and connect.
There was a real buzz throughout the centre, with a wonderfully warm and celebratory atmosphere. President Connolly took considerable time to move between the rooms, meeting children and young people, chatting with parents and listening to their individual experiences. She was keen to hear about the supports and services they had accessed through Hub 21, how they had first heard about the charity, what other supports they received and, importantly, some of the challenges and difficulties families continue to face. The President was warmly welcomed at every turn, receiving plenty of handshakes, hugs and high-fives as she made her way around the centre. It was particularly special to see her take such a genuine interest in each person she met, giving families the opportunity to share their stories and ensuring that the children and young people remained at the heart of the visit.
As part of the visit, President Connolly also had an opportunity to see Hub 21's outdoor sensory raised flowerbeds, recently completed in conjunction with Carrickmacross Tidy Towns, another wonderful example of local community collaboration in creating inclusive and welcoming spaces.
As a special memento of her visit, President Connolly was presented with a beautifully framed piece of Carrickmacross Lace, kindly donated by Carrickmacross Lace. The specially selected design featured three shamrocks, delicately tied with ribbon – a particularly meaningful gift, with the three shamrocks representing the three copies of chromosome 21 associated with Down syndrome. It was a thoughtful tribute combining the wonderful heritage of Carrickmacross with the significance of the extra chromosome that makes the Down syndrome community so unique.
Speaking following the visit, Caitriona Crosby, Manager of Hub 21, said:
"We are absolutely delighted and incredibly proud to have welcomed President Connolly to Hub 21. It was such a special afternoon, and one that we will remember for a very long time. While we had been quietly working towards the visit for a few weeks, nothing quite prepares you for seeing the excitement on the children's faces and the pride of our families, staff and volunteers. What meant so much to us was the time the President gave to everyone she met. She wasn't simply here to see the building or hear about the charity; she genuinely wanted to meet the children and families, listen to their experiences and understand what life is like for them.
Hub 21 has grown enormously since those early days when a small group of parents came together with a shared vision. We now support over 145 families across the North East and surrounding counties, providing a range of services, therapies, social opportunities and family supports. But at its heart, Hub 21 is still about the same thing it always was – children and young people with Down syndrome having opportunities to grow, thrive and shine, and families knowing they are not alone. To have the President of Ireland visit us, meet our families and recognise the work taking place here in Carrickmacross was an extraordinary honour. We are so grateful that she remembered her invitation and made the time to come and see us."
A special thank you
Hub 21 would like to extend its sincere thanks to President Connolly, her husband Brian and the members of her team for making the visit possible.
A heartfelt thank you also goes to Carrickmacross Lace for their generous donation of the beautiful framed lace gift presented to the President; Enterprising Monaghan for their support in the days leading up to the visit and on the day itself; The Parlour Hire for kindly lending us the specially selected china, tablecloths and bunting, which helped create such a welcoming and celebratory setting; and Patrician High School for once again lending us their art easels.
And, of course, a very special thank you to all the children, young people, parents, volunteers and staff who joined us and helped make the afternoon what it was. We hope it was as special and memorable for you as it was for us. Hub 21 is what it is because of its wonderful community, and we were so proud to share this occasion with you.
