Farewell Message by outgoing Consul General David Costello
News
01 August 2023Dear Friends
Last February (on the 15th day of the Chinese New Year), I joined my good friend Eddie Cheung who introduced me to the Che Kung Temple in Shatin to have my fortune told. We went through the ritual of hitting the drum, turning the little windmill, and finally shaking fortune sticks out of a cylinder to get indications from General Che how lucky the Year of the Rabbit will be. The poem associated with the fortune stick I divined roughly translated to “you will pack your bags and return to the capital”.
Well the prophecy has now come to pass and today [31 July] is my final day at my desk in the offices of the Consulate General of Ireland in Hong Kong. I depart Hong Kong for Dublin in the coming days to take up a new role in our headquarters. I am assured that these omens from General Che are good, however, it doesn’t quite feel that way as I say farewell to this wonderful city that I have called home for 5 years.
Looking back, I am proud to say that the doors of the Consulate General of Ireland remained open every day for citizen services for the past five years, a statement that very few colleagues around the world can make. To even be making this claim is a reflection of the extraordinary times we have lived through in recent years, and not just the obvious headlines of social unrest and the pandemic. We have a small team – Janis, Yan, Emily, Rob and Katrina – that have not just kept the show on the road during the difficult periods but have delivered our public outreach programme to a very high standard. Our social media pages – Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter – are a continuing reflection of what has been achieved by our small team in trying circumstances. I am very grateful to my colleagues for their unwavering commitment to public service. I also thank my former colleagues – Caitríona, Kai Li, Jericho, Ross and Amelia – for their commitment and service to the Consulate since my arrival in 2018 and have gone on to write new chapters in their careers.
While the five years have been a turbulent, traumatic, historic and sometimes exhilarating, much has been achieved to deepen the bonds of friendship between Hong Kong and Ireland. Among the highlights were:
« Visit of Minister Heather Humphreys TD for Fintech Week in November 2018
« Visit of Minister Michael D’Arcy TD for the Asian Financial Forum in January 2019
« Visit to Dublin by Secretary James Lau for the European Financial Forum in February 2019
« Visit of Minister Joe McHugh TD for St Patrick’s Day in March 2019
« Visit of Minister Michael D’Arcy TD for the Asian launch of Ireland for Finance in September 2019
« Online participation of Minister Sean Fleming TD in the Asian Financial Forum in January 2021
« Visit of Minister Eamon Ryan TD for St Patrick’s Day in March 2023.
There have been many other events and visits – too countless to mention today. I extend my appreciation our many friends, supporters and stakeholders for your support and friendship. While invidious to name individuals, let me thank our community members; community groups and leaders; diplomatic colleagues; the Hong Kong & Macao government and agencies; civil society; arts and culture groups; schools, alumni groups and friends in the university sector; business and finance stakeholders; and last, but not least, the media, including Irish, Hong Kong and international correspondents.
Next year will mark the 10th anniversary since the opening of a full time diplomatic office in Hong Kong. We will have a lot to celebrate. My successor, Jennifer Bourke, inherits a great team, a wonderful community and a wide network of friends of Ireland in Hong Kong.
As I “sign off”, I will try to break the habit of long community messages. Instead, let me test the saying that a picture paints a thousand words by saying farewell with a video drawing together just some of the highlights of the past five years. I am conscious that 2023 marks the 20th anniversaries of the passing of Cantopop legends Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing and Anita Mui Yim-Fong. In my departure I look to the music of Mui Yim-Fong for inspiration and in particular to her song “夕陽之歌 (Song of Sunset)”. In November 2003, Mui Yim-Fong held a series of eight shows at the Hong Kong Coliseum, which were to be her last concerts before her death that December. “Song of Sunset” was the finale of her concerts, her farewell to Hong Kong. Let it also be my “Bye, Bye” to Hong Kong!
It can be viewed on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRQJaakxWmI and in truth is just a snapshot of my five years here.
Thank you for your support over the past five year.
Slán agus beannacht!
David Costello
Consul General