The Fascinating History of the President of Ireland

This article is a simple and accessible guide to the history of the president of Ireland. We will explain the president’s role and give you a chronological timeline of all the Presidents of the Republic of Ireland. This is perfect if you want to learn more about Irish history and politics or the lives of Irish presidents!

This article may also be helpful if you plan to travel to Ireland. We mention many interesting places intertwined with and integral to Irish history, so keep reading to ensure you don’t miss any critical landmarks during your visit!

Irish history is equally fascinating. Since its independence and declaration as a republic, Ireland has transformed itself from a predominantly agricultural society to a hub of innovation in industry, the economy, and education. Before we delve into our list of Irish Presidents, here are some frequently asked questions that may help you understand the president’s roles and responsibilities.

List of the Presidents of Ireland: 

• Douglas Hyde (1938-1945)
• Sean T. O’Kelly (1945-1959)
• Éamon de Valera (1959-1973)
• Erskine Hamilton Childers (1973-1974)
• Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh (1974-1976)
• Patrick J. Hillery (1976-1990)
• Mary Robinson (1990-1997)
• Mary McAleese (1997-2011)
• Michael D. Higgins (2011-)

Before discussing the lives of each Irish president in detail, we have included some frequently asked questions about Irish Presidents below to help you better understand their roles.

Alternatively, click on any president’s name to skip ahead and learn about their life and career.

Frequently Asked Questions about the President of Ireland:

Presidents of Ireland

This article will teach us about all of Ireland’s presidents, from the very first president to the current leader.

Douglas Hyde (1938-1945) – First President of Ireland

Douglas Hyde was the first president of the Republic of Ireland. He was born in Co. Roscommon. Hyde had a great interest in the Irish language, working as a professor of Modern Irish at University College Dublin (1909-1932) and the Dean of the Celtic faculty. He was also the co-founder and first president of the Gaelic League, which aimed to revitalise Irish culture and language.

On 26 June 1938, President Hyde gave his inauguration address at Dublin Castle in Irish, which was fitting considering his ambition to revive the Irish language. His address was brief, thanking the Taoiseach and asking God to help him fulfil his duties to the best of his abilities. Many inauguration speeches since this address have begun with an introduction in Irish before switching to the primary address in English.

Roscommon GAA’s home stadium for Gaelic Football, a traditional Irish sport, is named Dr. Hyde Park after the first president of Ireland. 

Sean T. O’Kelly  (1945-1959) – Second President of Ireland

Sean T. O’Kelly was the second president of Ireland. He is also noted as one of the founding members of Sinn Féin, one of Ireland’s most well-known political parties, and O’Kelly served in the Dáíl Eirinn (the Irish parliament) from 1918-1921, acting as Speaker of the First Dáíl Eirinn from 1919. He also served as finance minister during Hyde’s presidency from 1939-1945. O’Kelly was born and raised in Co. Dublin, the capital city of Ireland.

Sean T. O’Kelly served a full two terms during his time in office. In his inauguration address on 25 June 1945, O’Kelly stated that he aimed to do great things for Ireland by cooperating. He also planned to follow Douglas Hyde’s example and make efforts to revitalize the Irish language further. 

‘’Co-operating together, I hope that we shall be able to do great things for Ireland.’’

President Sean T.O’Kelly, Inauguration Speech 25/06/1945

Éamon de Valera (1959-1973) – Third President of Ireland

Éamon De Valera was born in New York in 1882 and moved to Ireland at age two and a half. He was initially a teacher and university lecturer before joining the Irish Volunteers in 1913. De Valera also took part in the 1916 Easter Rising as a Commandant. Because of his involvement, he was initially sentenced to death but was later pardoned and released. 

De Valera was elected M.P. for East Clare in 1917. He was then re-elected to this position until he became President of Ireland. From 1932 to 1937, De Valera was the President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State. 

Before becoming President of Ireland, De Valera was elected as the Taoiseach, or the Irish Prime minister from 1937-1948, 1951-1954 and 1957-1959. De Valera was also a founding member of the Irish Political Party Fianna Fáil.

In his second inauguration address in Dublin Castle on 26 June 1966, De Valera discussed Ireland’s global importance. He also mentioned two of the then-Taoiseach’s aims: unification and restoring the Irish language. Still, he concluded that his address was not the place to discuss these problems in detail.

‘’We have an importance far beyond our size, of our territory or the numbers of our people.’’

President De Valera, 26/06/1966, inauguration speech. 

Erskine Hamilton Childers (1973-1974) – Fourth President of Ireland

Erskine Hamilton Childers was the fourth President of Ireland. He was born in London in 1905 and lived in England and France before moving to Dublin at age 26. 

Childers was elected to the Dáil (Irish Parliament) in 1938 before serving as the Tánaiste (deputy prime minister) from 1969 to 1973. 

Childers became president of Ireland in 1973. In his inauguration address on 25 June 1973, President Childers spoke about his aims to contribute to harmony among all Irish people. Childers died suddenly in November 1974.

Childer’s daughter Nessa became a member of the European Parliament.

Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh (1974-1976) – Fifth President of Ireland

Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh, the fifth President of Ireland, was born in Bray, Co. Wicklow. Ó Dálaigh was a barrister appointed Ireland’s youngest Attorney General in 1946. He also served as Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court. In 1973, the same year that Ireland joined the EC, Ó Dálaigh was appointed as a judge of the Court of Justice of the European Communities. 

Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh served as President of Ireland for less than two years, from 1974 to 1976, until his resignation.

Patrick J. Hillery (1976-1990) – Sixth President of Ireland

Born in Co. Clare, Patrick J. Hillery was inaugurated as the sixth President of Ireland on 3 December 1976, serving two terms. Hillery had previously worked as a doctor before being appointed the Irish government’s Minister for Education. 

In his Presidential inauguration on December 3, 1976, Hillery emphasised the importance of community and the need to balance conserving the past and making changes for a better future.

”In seeking to serve Ireland in a new role my first task will be to reflect on what may be achieved and what must be conserved and protected.”

President Patrick Hillery Inauguration Address 3/12/1976

Mary Robinson (1990-1997) – Seventh President of Ireland

Mary Robinson made history as the first female president of the Republic of Ireland. Mary Robinson is undeniably one of the most important Irish figures of our time. She was born in Ballina in Co. Mayo, located at the mouth of the River Moy in the West of Ireland.

Mary was a barrister who became a professor of Criminal law at Trinity College Dublin. She had previously studied law at Trinity College Dublin, where she was elected a scholar, a very prestigious award in the university.

In the interview above, she details why she ran for the presidency. Mary Robinson mentions the Irish diaspora, a term that describes the mass migration from Ireland to countries worldwide due to factors such as the Great Famine and unemployment.

In her inauguration address on 3 December 1990, President Robinson aimed to promote participation in democracy at a grassroots level. She saw modern Ireland as a tolerant and pluralist society, as evident by the fact that people with opposing views on some of her stances still chose to vote for her.

“The Ireland I will be representing is a new Ireland, open, tolerant, inclusive”

Mary Robinson Inauguration Address 3/12/1990

Robinson is known for her progressive views and ambition as a feminist and human rights lawyer when Ireland was much more conservative than it is today. However, even during a time of significant change, Robinson was incredibly popular as President of Ireland; at one point, her popularity rating reached 93%, which was unprecedented.

Robinson resigned in September 1997 to become the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Presidential Commission took over until November, when the new President of Ireland was sworn in. In 1998, she and her husband, Nicholas Robinson, set up the Irish Centre for European Law. 

Mary McAleese (1997-2011) – Eighth President of Ireland

Mary McAleese was elected as the eighth president of Ireland, serving two terms from 1997 to 2011. Before her presidency, she worked as a barrister and professor of law. McAleese is also a skilled broadcaster, having worked in the current affairs department of RTÉ, Ireland’s national broadcasting company.

Mary McAleese also made history as the first president of the Republic of Ireland to come from Northern Ireland. She was born and raised in Ardoyne, North Belfast, and received her law degree from Queen’s University Belfast. 

In her inauguration address on 11 November 1997 in Dublin Castle, McAleese spoke about the Presidents that had preceded her, noting that their religious, political, social and geographical differences emphasised the openness of the Presidential role in Ireland. The theme of McAleese’s speech was ‘building bridges’. 

Another theme of McAleese’s speech was the fifth province. Ireland has four provinces: Leinster, Ulster, Munster and Connacht, but the Irish word for province is ‘concealed’, which translates to a fifth’. While ancient Ireland may have been divided into five parts, Robinson stated that the fifth province resides inside of citizens in modern Ireland.

Ireland sits tantalisingly ready to embrace a golden age of affluence, self-assurance tolerance and peace.  It will be my most profound privilege to be President of this beautiful, intriguing country.

Mary McAleese Inauguration Address 11/11/1997

Michael D. Higgins (2011-) – Ninth President of Ireland

Michael D. Higgins was elected the ninth president of Ireland in 2011 and re-elected for a second term in 2018. With a passion for the Irish language, education, and culture, President Higgins made history as Ireland’s first Minister for Arts, Culture, and the Gaeltacht. As Minister for Arts, Higgins established Telifís na Gaeilge (TG4), a TV channel in the Irish language.

Born in Co. Limerick and raised in Co. Clare, President Higgins was a political science and sociology lecturer. He had previously studied at University College Galway, Indiana University Bloomington, and the University of Manchester.

Higgins has had a long political career, having been elected to the Seanad and Dáil Éirinn. He has also served as Mayor of Galway on two occasions and was awarded the position of President of the Labour Party in 2003.

Michael D. Higgins married his wife, Sabina, in 1974. She is also passionately involved in the arts, particularly acting and drama and is one of the founding members of the Focus Theatre in Dublin. The president and his wife have a Bernese Mountain Dog called Bród, who also lives in Áras an Uachtaráin.

In his inauguration speech on 11 November 2011, President Higgins aimed for transformation and a ‘Presidency of ideas’ that would encourage innovation, creativity, and building upon existing initiatives to unlock greater potential. He also believes that Ireland is a Real Republic by promoting inclusive citizenship in a creative society to establish a shared future. He planned to do this by holding Presidency Seminars to shape Ireland’s Shared Future. 

”We must seek to build together an active, inclusive citizenship; based on participation, equality, respect for all and the flowering of creativity in all its forms..”

Michael D. Higgins Inauguration Address 11/11/2018

Higgins gained over one million votes in the presidential election- the highest of any Irish politician in the history of Irish elections.

The theme of Irish Presidents

Ireland is famous for its beautiful landscapes, culture, music, language, sports, and entertainment. Historically known as the ‘Land of Saints and Scholars’, we are also famous for being friendly hosts and resilient people. We have succeeded worldwide in the arts, film, music, and sports. Many Irish people have helped to make history in their lifetime, including the Presidents of Ireland, each of whom has contributed uniquely to Ireland. 

Preserving the Irish language and culture, unity, and innovation are common themes in many inauguration speeches. Many Presidents also discuss Ireland globally and mention the Irish diaspora, remembering the sacrifice of Irish people worldwide who were forced to emigrate during difficult times.

These themes highlight the importance of preserving culture and moving together to create a modern and tolerant Ireland where people of different beliefs and backgrounds can live peacefully. 

Symbol of the President of Ireland

There are many Irish symbols, such as the shamrock, harp and colour green. 

The role of the president is to represent the people of Ireland. In theory, the president is elected by the people and should, therefore, symbolise the people’s voice.

Presidents of Ireland – Conclusion

Many of these Presidents will be remembered as Irish people who significantly changed history during their lives and times in office by acting as the people’s voice.

We hope that you have enjoyed reading this article! If you want to learn more about Irish history, why not explore more articles on our site, including:

9 Traditional Irish Crafts & Their Fascinating History | Irish King and Queens who changed History  | Blarney Castle: Where Myths and History combine | Things to do in Meath: Explore the Rich History of the County