Tough guy Neeson tells the President what really scares him
WE’VE seen him stand up to the Black and Tans and leave hardened international terror groups in his wake, but yesterday Liam Neeson seemed nervous as he appeared before the President.
‘My fear, and it’s a genuine fear, is public speaking. And everybody says, you’re an actor, you should be good at that but it’s just not true,’ the big man from Ballymena confessed.
The actor was at Áras an Uachtaráin to accept an award for his support of the Irish arts and his work with Unicef for more than two decades, and he added: ‘I’m very humbled and I’m very proud to be Irish, especially today, and I shall continue to fly the flag for Irish arts and certainly for Unicef.’
The Presidential Distinguished Service Awards for the Irish Abroad highlight outstanding work in a range of areas, from sport to science, charity or community support. President Michael D Higgins welcomed the Hollywood star, calling him ‘a splendid Irishman abroad’ and ‘a worthy recipient’ of the accolade.
The 65-year-old was recognised for work helping raise the profile Irish artists around the world, his strong backing for a variety of initiatives to promote tourism to Ireland and his work with Unicef.
He was also honoured for his strong support of Irish cultural projects, including the 2016 commemorations of the Rising and his involvement in the highly successful Notre Dame University documentary on it.
President Higgins explained the importance of the occasion saying: ‘Our reason for having the awards is to say that the Irish family isn’t defined by national borders or territories. It’s defined by care, compassion, a shared culture and heritage, a common sense of responsibility, a consciousness of our historical experience and also the importance of Ireland contributing dynamically to a future that would be humane and more compassionate and more just.’
Praising the actor for ‘qualifying by all of those criteria,’ he presented him with the piece that was made by the students in Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Letterfrack, Co. Galway, the National Centre of Excellence for Furniture Design and Wood Technology.
Culture Minister Josepha Madigan called Neeson ‘an incredibly gifted and internationally renowned film actor who has never lost touch with his Irish roots’.
The citation with the award said Neeson had helped raise awareness of Ireland and Irish artists around the world, especially in the US.
‘I’m very proud to be Irish’