Membership of the European Union had profoundly altered Ireland, which had developed into a culturally-confident nation that enjoyed a close and friendly partnership with its nearest neighbour, Britain, President Mary McAleese said on the last day of her official visit to Austria.
Mrs McAleese last night hosted a special dinner at Bregenz, on the shores of Lake Constance, in honour of her Austrian counterpart, president Heinz Fischer. In her speech for the event, she said Austria understood aspects of Ireland's journey because it, too, had emerged from the shadow of a larger neighbour, ie Germany.
Earlier in the day, both heads of state attended the official opening of the annual summer music festival at Bregenz, in western Austria. At the opening, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra performed works by Mozart and Verdi.
Neither Mrs McAleese nor her official spokesman were making any additional comments to the media on the possibility that Irish troops might be sent to Lebanon as part of a new United Nations peacekeeping mission. At a press conference in Vienna on Tuesday, Mrs McAleese said she had "no doubt that if [ UN secretary-general] Kofi Annan were to put such a plan before the Irish Government it would be given the most profound consideration".
The tone of her remarks appeared to be at odds with Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern's comment in Brussels on Monday where he indicated that Ireland would not have the spare capacity to take part in such a mission: "We are stretched, so there are plenty of other countries who could step up to the mark."
Minister for Communications Noel Dempsey, who was part of the President's delegation to Austria, insisted the two positions were not at odds: "The President said that we would give profound consideration to any request from the UN or Kofi Annan and that is a fact. We will, and there is no conflict."
Yesterday afternoon, Mrs McAleese visited a church on the outskirts of Bregenz, built in honour of St Gall, an Irish missionary who arrived in the district in 610 with St Columbanus. St Gall is believed to have come from Bangor, Co Down.