Catherine Connolly sworn in as Ireland’s president on day of pomp and celebration | Ireland
Catherine Connolly has vowed to make Ireland “a republic worthy of the name”, using her presidency to champion diversity, the Irish language and the legacy of decolonization.
In his inaugural speech after taking office on Tuesday, Connolly articulated a left-wing alternative to center-right orthodoxy.
“We were led to believe that this was too big a leap, that our ideas were too far out, too far left, at odds with the dominant narrative,” he said, referring to his landslide victory in last month’s election.
“However, in joint conversations across the country, it became clear that the dominant narrative did not reflect or represent people’s values and concerns. Over and over, people talked about how it served to silence, alienate, label, exclude, and stifle critical thought.”
On a day of grandeur and celebration at Dublin Castle, formerly the seat of British rule, the 68-year-old former lawyer said that as Ireland’s 10th president he would ensure “all voices” were heard and promote climate action, tolerance and Welsh regeneration.
“The people have spoken and given the president a powerful mandate to articulate his vision of a new republic, a republic worthy of the name, where everyone is valued and diversity is valued, sustainable solutions are urgently implemented, and home is a basic human right.”
Connolly’s election shocked the political establishment. The independent left-wing legislator united opposition left-wing parties, energized young voters and defeated ruling Fine Gael party candidate Heather Humphreys, winning 64% of the vote.
The presidency is a largely ceremonial post, but outgoing president Michael D Higgins has expanded restrictions and turned it into a platform for discussing domestic and international issues; It’s a practice Connolly is expected to continue.
In a ballroom full of government figures, ambassadors and other dignitaries, including former presidents Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese, Connolly lamented the “normalization of war and genocide.”
Praising Ireland’s neutrality, a potential source of friction with the government seeking to cooperate with EU security initiatives, he said: “Our experience of colonization and resistance to man-made disaster and forced migration gives us a lived understanding of dispossession, hunger and war, and a mandate for Ireland to lead.”
Connolly also praised the Good Friday agreement and cited Article 3 of the Irish constitution, which advocates a united Ireland by consent. The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) refused to send a representative to the opening ceremony but said no slight was intended.
Switching to Irish, Connolly reiterated his commitment to prioritizing the language in Áras an Uachtaráin, the presidential office and residence. “Irish will not be spoken in a low voice in the Áras, but will take first place as a working language.”
He said no country could express its aspirations or values if the native language spoken by the ancestors disappeared. “It was put in second place without sufficient respect and recognition. The hearts of our people were watered when they were discouraged from using their own language. A language that expresses feelings and emotions with every word.”
A 21-gun salute was fired as the new president received his seal of office.
