Ireland’s ninth president will travel to Derry City next Sunday, in his first official engagement.
His decision to cross the border will be seen as an embrace of an All Ireland role by the new president.
Michael D Higgins will be inaugurated this coming Friday in Dublin.
It used to be highly controversial for an Irish president to cross the border but frequent visits by Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese,a Northern native, dispelled much of that.
However, Higgins’ decision to make his first official function an event in Northern Ireland will raise eyebrows there.
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The Irish president has been invited to present the winning trophy at the RTE's school choir of the year contest, which will be held in the Millennium Forum.
Last week O’Higgins and his wife Sabina made their first visit to the president’s residence at Áras an Uachtaráin, where the outgoing president, Mary McAleese gave the couple a tour of their new home.
Meanwhile Clare Councillor, Pat Hayes, has called for Eamon De Valera’s black Dodge car to be made available to O’Higgins during his first visit home to the Banner county.
“I am delighted another Clare man has been elected as President of Ireland and I look forward to seeing him enjoying the space and luxury provided in Eamon de Valera’s car. This would be a great marketing and public relations event for the county and would help to boost tourism in the future,” he told the Clare Champion.
“Michael D is entitled to get a spin in de Valera’s car considering he is the third Clare man to become President. The car has all the symbols of the presidency, the Tricolour and a badge on its roof so it would be more than suitable to be used by the new President,” he added.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.Towngate | Nov 09, 2011, 06:39 PM EST
He was born in LIMERICK - brought up by an Uncle and Aunt in CLARE then moved to GALWAY. Quote:" It is of Galway that I am". So take your pick! Nothing wrong with him rattling around in Dev's old banger - just so long as he doesn't pick up any of his ideas! > > > His Border-Busting trip to 'Derry' is curious ... probably to rub Loser McGuinness's nose deeper in it! > > > I hope they have used the proper Diplomatic Protocol and applied to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for permission to enter her Country. - Now he's a President, he can't just go wandering about all over the place like a stray dog where-ever the fancy takes him!
IrelandNorth | Nov 09, 2011, 07:57 AM EST
Rumour has it that he will indeed co-opt the other six presidential candidates onto is Council-of-State, togther with Ulster-Scot citizens of the republic who hail from a unionist/loyalist/protestant tradtion. That would make his presidency truly rainbowesque beyond wildest imagination.
IrelandNorth | Nov 09, 2011, 07:55 AM EST
As a Labour Party supporter I voted for a McGuinness presidency, not because I disrespected Michael D[aniel] less, but because I valued the potent symbolism of a second national president more. He may go for a rainbow presidency by co-opting other candidates - McG... incl.
IrelandNorth | Nov 09, 2011, 07:51 AM EST
Would recommend watching Michael D[aniel]'s last speech to Dail Eireann on YouTube after 20 years there. Talks about how a real republic was subverted by radically individualistic Me Feiners very early on. What partitioned Ireland was power-hungry sons of peasant farmer stock too hungry for social repectability. Wouldn't be the first time in political history where personal self-interest subverted representative democracy.
Mercenary | Nov 08, 2011, 05:34 PM EST
@FallsRNat Enough was done during Mary McAleese's presidency to reach out to the Unionist/loyalist side of the divide. This was a great thing, don't get me wrong, but isn't it about time that the focus shifts a little to the nationalist side? After all, the southern state abandoned them, and what did they get?
FallsRNat | Nov 08, 2011, 01:17 PM EST
is the president of ireland truly wants to be a man for all of the people shouldn't he visit the Shankill or Tigers Bay 1st, going to a nationalist area is hardly condusive of that, unless of course he is going to walk over the peace bridge into the waterside.
cillowen | Nov 08, 2011, 09:40 AM EST
And so he should go there to thank Martin McGuiness and offer to create four jobs for Derrymen.
sirpeter | Nov 08, 2011, 08:04 AM EST
That's the way to go Michael D.Up you go and tell them you are president of All Ireland.