President Catherine Connolly vows to champion peace, equality and sustainability
Catherine Connolly speaking after her inauguration ceremony as Ireland's 10th president in Dublin Castle. Picture: Clodagh Kilcoyne/PA Wire
Catherine Connolly has vowed to be a president of an Ireland where “all voices are represented, heard and valued,” and to “promote a public discourse that nourishes inclusivity, tolerance and active citizenship.”
In her first speech as president, she touched on war, the Irish language and Irish unity, while paying tribute to her predecessors.
President Connolly was inaugurated as Ireland’s 10th president at a ceremony in Dublin Castle on Tuesday afternoon. She was joined by her husband, Brian McEnery, and her two sons, Stephen and Brian.
Standing “humbly and proudly” as the new head of state, she said the people had given her a powerful mandate to articulate their vision for a new republic — one “where everyone is valued and diversity is cherished, where sustainable solutions are urgently implemented and where a home is a fundamental human right.”
She added that the movement that led to her election began with a small group of representatives and volunteers facing “insurmountable challenges.”
Over time, she said, it became clear that “the dominant narrative did not reflect or represent people’s values and concerns.”
“Time and time again, people spoke of how it served to silence, to other, to label, to exclude and to stifle critical thinking," President Connolly said.
“However, along with meaningful engagement, we saw the emergence of hope. We saw the emergence of joy, along with the courage and determination of people to use their voices to shape a country that we can be proud of."
President Connolly said she would ensure that “all voices are represented, heard and valued,” and would continue to promote inclusive and active citizenship.
President Connolly reflected on how previous presidents faced defining challenges of their times.
“In 1990, when Mary [Robinson] was elected, the parameters of geopolitics were shifting following the fall of the Berlin Wall the previous year and the dissolution of the Soviet Union," she said.
“At home, Ireland was undergoing its own seismic changes, laying the foundation for a modern and peaceful society.
“In 1997, one year before the Good Friday Agreement of the former President Mary McAleese […] was elected in the midst of the ongoing peace process, a landmark event in shaping a shared vision for the future of Ireland.
“In 2011, Michael D Higgins assumed office […] as a global financial collapse shook Ireland and the world, the reverberations of that crisis continue to impact upon and shape people's lives and our economy.
“Now in 2025, as I assume the privilege of office, we face the existential threat of climate change and the threat of ongoing wars. Both, of course, are inextricably linked."
She said she was acutely aware of the 160.5 million people displaced worldwide by war, famine and climate change, adding that these were “the challenges of our times.”
“It is both an individual and a collective challenge, and one which obliges us to reflect on the way we live and interact with our world and with each other," President Connolly said.
“It is also the responsibility of those entrusted with public office to come together, both nationally and internationally, to create the conditions for a sustainable existence on our planet."
Marking Remembrance Day, she said the occasion allowed the nation “to pause and reflect on the horrors of war” in a world where “we have all become witnesses to wars and genocide.”
“Given our history, the normalisation of war and genocide has never been and will never be acceptable to us as a sovereign independent nation with the long and cherished tradition of neutrality and an uninterrupted record of peacekeeping since 1958."
President Connolly said Ireland was “particularly well placed” to lead on diplomatic solutions to conflict.
"Our experience of colonization and resistance of a catastrophic manmade famine and forced immigration gives us lived understanding of dispossession, hunger, and war and a mandate for Ireland to lead," she said.
She highlighted the success of the Good Friday Agreement, calling it “a model for the peaceful resolution of conflict” and praised “the meticulous and methodical work” that made it possible.
"I look forward to paying my first official visit to the North and meeting with people from all communities and celebrating the rich heritage and traditions of all who live there," President Connolly.
She also referenced Article Three of the Constitution, which outlines “the firm wish of the Irish people to have a united Ireland,” and said she would foster open and inclusive dialogue across the island.
Turning to Ireland’s diaspora, she said there was “hardly a family on this island that does not have a personal experience of migration,” adding that emigrants “have kept their love of Ireland and its culture deep in their hearts.”
"I hope over the next seven years that there will be many opportunities for me to celebrate with them and share our experiences," she said.
“I have never believed more in the spirit of this country. Having travelled the length and breadth of the island, I have witnessed it in every county in every corner of Ireland. I have heard it in the music, the literature and the dance of our people, in the deep tradition of solidarity and decency that continues to be the dominant force behind our people.
“I have felt it in the quiet dignity and stoicism of those who simply keep going, despite the very real challenges that they face.”
President Connolly also spoke in Irish, highlighting the importance of the language in daily life, and pledged to embrace her new role with “dignity, determination and courage.”
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