*President Catherine Connolly with her husband Brian McEnery alongside past Presidents Mary McAleese, Michael D. Higgins, Mary Robinson and their respective spouses Martin, Sabina and Nicholas.
ENNIS native Brian McEnery has taken up new residence at Áras an Uachtaráin alongside his wife, Catherine Connolly (IND) on Tuesday was inaugurated as the tenth President of Ireland.
President Connolly said she will make sure all voices are heard and nurtured during her term. At a ceremony in Dublin Castle on Tuesday, she was inaugurated as President. Her first official engagement was a lunch at Áras an Uachtaráin followed by a State reception held in her honour, later that night.
For her first official day in office, she was in Dublin, Meath and Galway visiting Gaelscoil Inse Chór in Dublin 8, Trim family resource centre and Merlin Park Community Nursing Unit 5 and 6 in her home county of Galway.
Joining her along the way was her husband Brian who hails from Hermitage. A former woodwork teacher, he taught for twenty five years at Garbally College in Ballinasloe and a further nine at St Joseph’s Patrician College in Galway City. They have been married for thirty three years and have two adult sons, Brian and Stephen. He moved to Galway with his family in 1988, one of five children he played football and hurling as a child before becoming a keen motorcyclist, driving a Harley-Davidson.
When he retired from teaching in 2009, Brian became active in community groups in 2009 such as the local men’s shed and the residents association in the Claddagh area of Galway City. His life changed significantly when he suffered a serious stroke in 2013. McEnery had been very active prior to this, running four Dublin Marathons and five triathlons.
On Monday, Cllr Tommy Guilfoyle (SF) requested Clare County Council “write to the Arás to formally extend our fraternal congratulations”. He added, “We commend her lifelong commitment to public service, social justice and democratic values, and we recognise the significance of her election for communities across the island of Ireland as we take steps towards reunification under the Good Friday Agreement. We also extend our warmest wishes to her family, her husband, Ennis native Brian McEnery and their two sons who have supported her throughout her distinguished career”.
An attempt by Cllr Guilfoyle to amend his motion to include a request for a civic reception for the Galway woman did not proceed as the matter had not been put before the Corporate Policy Group of Clare County Council, as per standing orders.
Both Cllr Guilfoyle and Cllr James Ryan (SF) were among the Connolly canvassing team in Clare. “It was a brilliant campaign to be part of, young people got involved and they voted for a President that they felt was going to lead Ireland in a new direction”. He added, “Catherine Connolly in her inauguration speech said she would be a President for everybody. She is going to be a President of the same calibre of all the ones before”.
Seconding the proposal, Cllr Ryan noted, “Because of the great Clare connection, it is really important that we congratulate her officially”. Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) stated, “It is right and proper as a Chamber that we congratulate our Uachtaráin and wish her all the best”. Well wishes were also issued by Cllr Tony Mulcahy (FG).
Both Cllr Joe Killeen (FF) and Cllr Gabriel Keating (FG) were hopeful of getting an invite to a garden party in the Arás. “She was a credit to her profession, her gender and the Irish people, she was able to answer questions and justify her position on it, the fact she was a trained barrister helped, she had the intelligence to argue her point. I look forward to being invited up to one of the garden parties,” Killeen stated. “We might be invited during our term to the Áras,” Keating agreed.
“Some get it right and some get it very wrong in the thrust of elections,” remarked Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) which left both Garrihy and Mulcahy chuckling. “I am looking forward to seeing how she gets on”. Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF) commented, “the campaign showed us it is a very difficult role to put your name forward for. The whole campaign became nasty in some ways for candidates, the respect was always shown, she was very cool and collective and a fantastic listener. What really impressed me, when stuff was thrown at her, she took it at face value and that had to be admired. I think she is very articulate”.
