An impressive celebration of the European Union's enlargement in Dublin over the weekend has also revealed an exceptionally busy agenda to complete the tasks facing Ireland's EU presidency by the end of June.
At his press conference on Saturday the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, outlined the issues involved, together with Mr Romano Prodi and Mr Pat Cox.
This week Mr Ahern begins a busy round of consultations on the constitutional treaty. He must broker negotiations on who should succeed Mr Prodi as Commission president. Talks on the EU budget for the next period will intensify. Several major international political questions will demand attention.
All this will coincide with an election campaign for the European and local elections - and with several major items of domestic political business this week such as e-voting and whether Ms Beverley Flynn will be expelled from the Fianna Fáil party. The sheer energy and commitment required to run such a demanding European agenda alongside the pressing domestic one is often under-estimated. This is why it is important to give genuine political achievements the recognition they deserve.
Among them, undoubtedly, is the planning and execution of Saturday's fine ceremony in Dublin to welcome the 10 new member-states. It was dignified and well-judged and should be a source of pride for Irish citizens as they absorb the implications of what it means to preside for six months over an EU with 25 member-states and a combined population of 450 million people - and, indeed, to participate over coming years in such a unique venture. The official ceremony in Phoenix Park was mirrored in local events throughout the State. The only sour note was a short outbreak of violence at the end of one of the small Dublin demonstrations.
In the "declaration for a day of welcomes" made by Mr Ahern at the flag-raising ceremony in Phoenix Park he reflected on what the EU has created: "From war we have created peace. From hatred we have created respect. From division we have created union. From dictatorship and oppression we have created vibrant and sturdy democracies. From poverty we have created prosperity." As he said, these precious achievements were not easily won. He pledged to build on them by constructing "closer partnerships, deeper union, enhanced democracy, greater equality and even greater prosperity and well-being".
There is plenty of room to disagree whether these objectives have been achieved and what will be involved in future, but much less so about their desirability. The President, Mrs McAleese, told the gathering that while "our continent is ancient, our Union is young - we are still only at the start of its possibilities". Political leaders must now encourage much more citizen involvement in these tasks. Their potential will not be realised unless democratic argument is harnessed to inter-state co-operation and common policies.