President accepts Freedom of Cork with ‘humility and appreciation’

President Michael D Higgins said it was with “a great sense of humility and appreciation” that he had become the sixth Irish head of State to be bestowed with the Freedom of Cork City.

At a ceremony in City Hall, attended by several hundred guests, the Lord Mayor of Cork, Catherine Clancy, said it was only fitting to bestow the honour on President Higgins in recognition of his membership of Dáil Éireann for 25 years and his membership of the Seanad Éireann for nine years.

Ms Clancy also said it recognised “his life of dedication and commitment to public service and his outstanding achievements in advancing civil rights and social justice nationally and internationally”.

Ms Clancy described him as “a passionate political voice, poet, writer, academic, and statesman”.

Mr Higgins received a standing ovation after he spoke of the city’s patriots, its talented writers, maritime tradition, and culture.

The President said he was also mindful of the men and women who have previously received the Freedom of the City, among them predecessors such as Éamon de Valera, Sean T O’Kelly, Mary Robinson, and Mary McAleese, as well as Douglas Hyde, who was made a Freeman before he was elected President.

“Quite rightly, the greater number of the Freemen of the City have been native Corkonians,” said President Higgins.

“I am at a certain remove as my mother’s family are from Liscaroll and areas adjacent in North Cork. Of course, an aunt of mine lived here in St Patrick’s Hill and married a native of Cork City, Jim Goulding.

“My father spent a great deal of the early years of the State in North Cork, where he fought as an intelligence officer in the North Cork Brigade. His brother fought in east Clare and their sister was a member of Cumann na mBan in Co Clare.”

President Higgins later added, to applause, that he “had it on excellent authority” that Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Cork was a highlight of her Irish tour in 2011, because she was allowed the freedom to mingle with its people.

“It is appropriate, then, that Cork plays such a significant role in facilitating interaction and dialogue between peoples, and that Cork should stand as a symbol for hospitality and friendship between nations,” he said.

He recalled a recent visit to the city as it recovered from flooding and how traders, home owners and local authorities pulled together, and said Cork “had the capacity to face challenges into the future”.