President hosts unionists at Twelfth reception
Hundreds of unionists gathered at the President’s official residence today for a friendly reception to mark the historic occasion of the Battle of the Boyne.
As thousands of Orangemen took to the streets across Northern Ireland for the Battle of the Boyne commemoration parade, President Mary McAleese held a Twelfth of July garden party in Áras An Uachtaráin in glorious sunshine.
“This reception and the planned re-development of the site of the Battle of the Boyne are, I believe, positive signs of the spirit of inclusion and tolerance that characterise today’s confident, successful Ireland,” the President said at the seventh annual party to celebrate the occasion.
“Today we showcase our differences, acknowledge them openly and colourfully and still offer each other a handshake, a smile and the offer of friendship.”
President McAleese stressed the importance of the historic occasion, as over 400 people from Northern Ireland and the Republic gathered at the reception.
“The course of Irish history changed and the course of European history too. For the Williamites it was a triumph, for the Jacobites, a disaster,” she said.
“These centuries later we, their children, gather together acknowledging our very different debts to history but also our shared responsibility for the future.”
She added: “It is to the goodness in all of us that we look with hope and confidence for a future where the unique heritage of each has a respected place in an island of good neighbours and good friends.”
Ms McAleese said Áras An Uachtaráin in Dublin’s Phoenix Park was the ideal venue to hold the Twelfth of July celebration.
The house, which was bought in the 1780s by the British government, became the seat of British Rule in Ireland as the home of the Viceroy. Following independence in 1922, it went on to become home to eight Irish Presidents.
“With such a fascinating history you can be sure that whatever your politics or perspective on history, part of your story is captured under this roof,” she said.
“In this house you will find reminders of each era – trees planted by Queen Victoria, Lord Mountbatten and Pope John Paul II; chandeliers celebrating the Act of Union 1801 close by busts of those who tried their best to end that Union. This evening, Aras An Uachtarain welcomes all the traditions of this island, and I hope that each feels welcomed and at home.”
