Our superb President with the common touch has raised the bar

WHO would ever have imagined at the time of her election that Mary McAleese would have turned out to be such a superb president?

Or that the candidates lining up this year to replace her, after two seven-year terms in the job, would have such a high benchmark to attempt to reach?

The President’s performances during the visit of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth will go down as one of the highlights of her time in office, and a memorable point on which to bow out. She handled all of the events with great dignity, especially at the Garden of Remembrance and the War Memorial at Islandbridge, and the State dinner at which she spoke so wonderfully herself before the Queen made the speech that captured the headlines. She was warm and welcoming and clearly had the ability to put the Queen at ease as she chatted without falter. With President McAleese you never have to worry that she’ll make a fool of herself or, by extension, us.