Hugs and handshakes as President Higgins welcomes his successor

By Cillian Sherlock, PA

President Michael D Higgins has wished President-elect Catherine Connolly “health and happiness” as he welcomed her to Áras an Uachtaráin on Wednesday.

Ms Connolly and her husband Brian McEnery were invited to the President’s official residence for a lunchtime meeting following her successful election last month.

She was also joined by her son Stephen and members of her team, including campaign manager Beibhinn O’Connor.

The members of the Connolly McEnery family signed a visitor’s book in the Áras.

Mr Higgins and his wife Sabina greeted Ms Connolly and her husband with hugs and handshakes.

The President congratulated his successor on a “great achievement” as they exchanged words in English and Irish in front of news cameras.

Mr Higgins and Ms Connolly joked about whether they should link and raise their hands for photographs, while also remarking that the media was “very important” and thanked those who had come.

Ms Connolly, a former barrister from Galway, won 63 per cent of first preferences in a landslide victory following the October 24th election.

Following her victory, she vowed to be a “president for all” and a “voice for peace”.

Mr Higgins has served as President since 2011, having been re-elected in 2018.

Ms Connolly will succeed him as the country’s 10th president following her inauguration on November 11th.

The pair have a somewhat complicated history after Ms Connolly left the Labour Party when it opted to run just one candidate in the Galway West constituency for the 2007 general election, where Mr Higgins was a sitting TD.

However, the reception on Wednesday was warm and marked with smiles and laughter.

A presidential term is seven years long, with each office holder being allowed to serve a maximum of two terms, should they successfully seek re-election.

Ms Connolly has said she does not see herself seeking a second term – although her predecessor made similar comments before running again.