Sir, - Like the other one million Irish citizens who proudly voted to elect him the ninth president of Ireland, I was deeply proud to witness the inauguration of Michael D Higgins last Friday. President Higgins has been a fiercely independent voice of integrity in Irish politics and culture and has promised a transforming presidency, with an emphasis on creativity and the imagination.
Only one day into his presidency these qualities of creativity and imagination are already coming to the fore in our nation's newspaper of record. Your report on the post- inauguration State reception in Dublin Castle states that not only was the poet Paul Durcan on the guest list but "the novelist, playwright and poet Dermot Bolger was there". Ireland is fortunate in electing superb presidents every seven years, but less fortunate in qualifying in international soccer play-offs. Like AA Milne's most famous creation, I am a bear of little brain, but I have a very vivid memory that - at the time this State reception was occurring - not only was I cooking spaghetti Bolognese for my sons in my own kitchen, but the poet Paul Durcan was sitting with a knife and fork between them at my table. Filled with pasta and pent-up anxiety, we then watched Ireland do to Estonia what we failed to do to France the last time we all gathered together.
In the grey Ireland of President Higgins's predecessor, Éamon de Valera, the gift of bi-location was only ever ascribed to humble friars from Pietrelcina, like Padre Pio, dressed in Capuchin robes. One day into the reign of our transforming president and this miracle of bi-location is already being ascribed by The Irish Times to humble poets from Drumcondra in fetching, if faded, floral kitchen aprons. Here indeed is secular and pluralistic change and huge creativity. I hope it is a harbinger of seven interesting years to come. - Yours, etc,
Sir, - If President Higgins "promises to represent all Irish wherever they may be", then we ought to have had the right to vote for him. Italians enjoy such a right. - Yours, etc,