FORMER PRESIDENT Mary McAleese has said she would consent to have the Boyne bridge on the M1 motorway named in her honour.
Mrs McAleese was “very privileged and honoured” at Meath County Council’s recent support for the proposal, according to Helen Carney, private secretary to the former president.
The idea stems partly from the successful bridge-building ideals promoted by Mrs McAleese and the theme of reconciliation, which was a major focus of her speeches and official visits both in Northern Ireland and the Republic.
In a letter read to yesterday’s meeting of the council, Ms Carney stated that the former president was “happy for her name to go forward as part of the proposal”.
The idea to rename the bridge had come from Senator Jim D’Arcy (FG), who said it would be a fitting tribute to Mrs McAleese’s 14-year term as a bridge builder between the different communities and traditions.
The landmark cable-stay bridge on the Dublin-Belfast motorway spans the Boyne near Drogheda and overlooks the historic Battle of the Boyne site.
A spokesperson for the National Roads Authority has said that any decision on renaming the bridge would ultimately rest with the Government and the Department of Transport.