Bulgarian Ambassador to Ireland visits Clare County Library

Picture shows the Ambassador with his wife, Sylvia (centre), a group of people from the Bulgarian community in Ennis, Helen Walsh, County Librarian, and the Mayor of Clare, Councillor Pat Hayes.

Clare County Library was honoured to host a visit from the Ambassador of Bulgaria to Ireland, H.E. Mr Emil Yalnazov. The Ambassador visited De Valera Public Library in Ennis on Tuesday, 13th September to give a talk and presentation surrounding an exhibition currently being held there entitled 'The Power of Civil Society: the Fate of Jews in Bulgaria during the Holocaust'. Mr Yalnazov originally presented the exhibition to Holocaust Education Trust Ireland (HETI) on behalf of the Republic of Bulgaria State Institute for Culture and Ministry for Foreign Affairs. HETI has been kind enough to provide the exhibition for display in branches of Clare County Library, earlier in the year in Shannon and currently in Ennis until 1st October 2011. The exhibition demonstrates how the collective voice of the people of Bulgaria prevented the deportation of its Jewish population to the concentration and death camps of the Third Reich.

Accompanied by his wife, Mrs Sylvia Yalnazova, the Ambassador spoke to an audience that included secondary school students from Coláiste Muire in Ennis, members of the Clare Active Citizenship Network and members of the approximately 40 strong Bulgarian community living in Ennis. The Mayor of Clare, Councillor Pat Hayes, was also in attendance. Mr Yalnazov spoke about the exhibition and took questions from the audience. He then went on to give a visual presentation of modern day Bulgaria and the many attractions on offer there, including its rich and varied landscape. Afterwards Mr Yalnazov presented County Librarian Helen Walsh with a number of books and material on Bulgaria for the library service in Clare while, in turn, Mayor Pat Hayes, on behalf of Clare County Library, presented the Ambassador with a collection of books produced by Clare Local Studies Project (CLASP). Ms Walsh noted that it was an honour for Clare to host the Ambassador’s visit and a rare opportunity to receive such an insight into an exhibition being held by the library while Mayor Pat Hayes told the students in attendance that they were "privileged to have the opportunity to experience such a unique history lesson". The Ambassador said he enjoyed his visit to Clare and was delighted to return having holidayed there before.