NEW YORK BOSTON |#Popular: Irish Celebrity Gossip Irish in US Politics Irish Festivals Irish Roots Irish Entertainment Offbeat Irish

Home Page > News > Micheal D. Higgins is inaugurated as the ninth President of Ireland

Micheal D. Higgins is inaugurated as the ninth President of Ireland

After a colourful ceremony at Dublin Castle Ireland's new President goes home to Aras an Uachtarain in the Phoenix Park

DARA KELLY,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Friday, November 11, 2011, 7:26 AM

Updated Friday, November 11, 2011, 11:49 AM

Larger Text

E-mail

5 Comments

Michael D Higgins inspects the soldiers present at his inauguration

Photo by Google Images

Amid a colorful and varied ceremony Michael D Higgins has been inaugurated as the ninth President of Ireland.

Having arrived at Dublin Castle, from Farmleigh House in Phoenix Park, with his wife Sabrina, the President entered the historic St Patrick’s Hall and took to the platform. The veteran Labour Party member, poet and campaigner was surrounded by the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny, Government Ministers and the Council of State, including former Presidents Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese.

Following an inter-faith service and a humanist reflection, Higgins made the Declaration of Office in Irish - promising to maintain the Constitution and uphold its laws. He then received his Seal of Office from the Chief Justice Mrs Justice Susan Denham.

During the ceremony Enda Kenny said Higgins is a “noble man of quiet virtue” and said he believes he would be a President for all the Irish people.

-------------------

More news stories from Ireland on IrishCentral

Guinness secret revealed: Why do bubbles go down instead of up?

-------------------

Higgins then gave his first address as President of Ireland. He said the people of have the capacity to transcend the present difficulties. He said they have been left wounded and he wanted to move on to a new chapter based on a new sense of Irishness.

During the inauguration a ceremonial fly past including four Pilatus PC-9m aircraft and a 21 gun salute using 105mm light guns took place.

Present at the inauguration were several noteable names including Tanaiste (Vice Prime Minster) Eamon Gilmore, the Attorney General, Minister Pat Rabbitte and Minister Sean Sherlock. Some other high-profile guests attending the ceremony include the British ambassador, US ambassador, German ambassador, French ambassador, Greek ambassador, Chinese ambassador and Chilean ambassador.

During the religious element of the inauguration nine religious concelebrant were present including Rev Dr Diarmuid Martin, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin; Rev Dr Ian Henderson, President, Methodist Church in Ireland; Rabbi Zalman Lent, Jewish Community Representative; Felicity McCartney, Religious Society of Friends; Susie Kennedy, Humanist; Rev Dr Michael A Jackson, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin; Rev Dr Trevor W.J Morrow, Presbyterian Church in Ireland representative; Dr Nooh Al-Kaddo, Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland; and Rev Fr Athanasius George, Coptic Orthodox Church in Ireland representative.

After walking through a Guard of Honour of 200 school children the 70-year old poet and politician born to poverty in Clare, but a lifelong Galway resident has been escorted to his new home at the palatial Aras an Uachtarain in the Phoenix Park in Dublin. He will stay here until this evening when he will travel back to Dublin Castle for an official reception.

The former lecturer at University College Galway won the election with a come from behind victory that was only secured when his opponent Sean Gallagher saw his vote collapse over the final few days after a disastrous debate performance.

The new president is a former Chairman of the Labor Party and a former Minister for Arts and Culture who also lectured and studied at Indiana University.

Here's a retrospective of Michael D Higgin's career so far put together by RTE:

-------------------

More news stories from Ireland on IrishCentral

Guinness secret revealed: Why do bubbles go down instead of up?

Nster.com

E-mail

5 Comments

See all comments

mtheresa | Nov 11, 2011, 06:47 PM EST

Pres. Michael D. reportedly was born in Limerick. Brought up by gr.parent(s)in West Clare. Educated in Galway, lives and worked there.

Report abuse

ellenfromcork | Nov 11, 2011, 04:23 PM EST

Well, he certainly had the religious side well covered. Best of luck to Michael D in the future.

Report abuse

acareybarr | Nov 11, 2011, 12:21 PM EST

Sabina, not Sab-R-ina, you dolts! --Delighted beyond Karma level to see so many of our early 'seventies cohorts and friends from UCG and Mayo (Enda, Pat Rabitte, Eamonn Gilmore and all) in their rightful roles to welcome our own Michael D. as NINTH President of the Republic of Ireland ("Poblacht na h-Eireann" for all you historically challenged "republicans.") -- These are the UCG guys i remember from the days of "Who's taking the bus to Derry? -- for what turned out to be Bloody Sunday. -- And our own Gary Hines/ Tom Kilroy / James Liddy etc. -- all UCG contemporaries too!! -- Real Irish Culture and the Arts in the Dail and the Arus -- and maybe the end to twisted cult of De Valera-ism and Irish Yank-style "republican-ism" at last! -- Did someone dare utter in shame or derision "Free State"? -- Almost a century after Collins and James Connolly and Larkin, we are not an "ancient land", we are a fledgling triumphant tribe -- and under only our NINTH President, for which nine only Mary Robinson dared to shrug off the the mantle of crippling myth. --UP Michael D.!! -- UP the West!! -- UP UCG, and UP Mayo and Galway too!!

Report abuse

IrelandNorth | Nov 11, 2011, 08:45 AM EST

I also hope A Uachtaran O h'Uiginne will also co-opt the six other presidential candidates to his seven person Council-of-State. It would also be purposeful to likewise co-opt one or more citizens from an Ulster unionist/-loyalist/protestant background resident in the southern state (of whom ther may be more than we think).

Report abuse

IrelandNorth | Nov 11, 2011, 08:40 AM EST

As a Labout Party supporter who voted for a McGuinness national (not partitionist) presidency, I certainly hope that Michael D[aniel] will enter the lions den of republicanism and continue his predecessor's bridge building between both artifical parts of Ireland.

Report abuse