McAleese pays homage to first president

President Mary McAleese has announced a €30,000 gift for a new Irish studies programme at the University of Montana, describing it as a thank you for hospitality shown a century ago to the man who became Ireland’s first president.

Douglas Hyde came to Montana seeking help in saving the Irish language from extinction under British rule. The language scholar found thriving pockets of the Gaelic language in immigrant communities and received emotional and financial support from the state, Ms McAleese said in her speech.