Written transcript: Portrait of former Speaker William Hay unveiled

This is a written transcript of the video highlighted the unveiling of former Speaker William Hay's portrait in Parliament Buildings.

 

[Gentle piano music plays in the background throughout the video]

Title Card: The unveiling of the offical portrait of the former Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly

Title Card: Lord Hay of Ballyore, Parliament Buildings, 23 April 2024

[Lord Hay's portrait artist, Stephen Johnston, stands in the Great Hall Parliament Buildings. Beside him is the portrait of Lard Hay. He discusses the process of creating the portrait. While he describes the process we see a number of close-up images of the portriat.]

Stephen Johnston (Artist): To create this portrait, it all starts with a conversation, it all starts with getting to know Lord Hay. So we had about an hour or two of conversation over coffee and I got to ask him questions and hear his story about his time in office, as Speaker, and from that I was able to understand his time in office, what was going on, what was the context at that point in history, and to try and draw those themes out. So the two themes I really tried to emulate on canvas was that Lord Hay really opened up Stormont to the public and that was a huge importance in his time in office.

[We cut to Assembly Speaker, Edwin Poots MLA, standing in the Great Hall, Parliament Buildings, beside the portrait of Lord Hay. Speaker Poots discusses the significance of the portrait and the important role of Speakers and Ministers. While he talks, we see Lord Hay greeting people in the Great Hall who have come to witness the unveiling of the portrait. This includes Justice Minister Naomi Long and First Minister Micehlee O'Neill].

Speaker Poots: I think that Speakers and former First and deputy First Ministers need to be recognised for the contribution that they've made and the leadership that is needed to actually tick up these roles is very significant and it's important that, particularly in years to come, people can see who gives that leadership at key times in Northern Ireland.

[We now cut to Lord Hay who discusses the portrait and his time at the Assembly. While Lord Hay speaks we see highlights of the unveiling and Lord Hay admiring the portrait.]

Lord Hay of Ballyore, Former Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly: Stephen Johnson came, highly recommended to me, and after a number of conversations, yes, we said that is somebody we could use for the portrait. When I took over as Speaker, the public weren't really allowed into the building and one evening I was walking about the building and I saw two ladies looking in the window but said to me, you can't come in. I said, you can come in, surely.

So from then on we decided let's do a project and a strategy to open the entire building out to the public because there was a feeling in and around Northern Ireland the building was very much closed to the public and it was at that time and I tell you that strategy has worked and worked extremely well. So all of it comes together to enhance the entire building for visitors who come from far and near to see Stormont now.

Closing Title Card: The portrait is now on public display in the Great Hall at Parliament Buildings.

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