I have already written to President McAleese to congratulate her on her election. I take this opportunity to wish Dr McAleese that her time as President will leave her with as many good and happy memories as I have of my 14-year Presidency.

It is now nearly 21 years since my first inauguration. It was a crisp and bright December morning as I travelled to the inauguration with my wife, my teenage son and my seven-year-old daughter. It was an important time to be together as a family, as we had already found that both friends and strangers were now unsure of how to approach the President. As my family grew up and increased in size, I relied on their support and companionship as I experienced what became a wonderful enlightening adventure.

Each President comes to office and carries out their duties with reference to the actions of their predecessors. However, each President must know that the context in which they act will be very different from that of their predecessors. This is the consequence of the length of the term of office. I came into office at a time when the Presidency - which should provide continuity and consistency at the heart of this constitutional democracy - had been destabilised. This was due to two tragic events.

The first was the sudden death in office of Erskine Childers. Erskine had taken his Presidency out to the people, and his death caused genuine national grief.

His successor, Cearbhall O Dalaigh, continued this outreach, especially in the arts. As an acknowledged expert on the Constitution, he had been left with no option but resignation when the office of President was not respected by the Government of the day. My intention for the initial stages of my term was to bring stability to the office and to continue my predecessors' contact with the citizens of Ireland. It is my nature to do the job I have been asked to do, to do it with the minimum of self-projection and to leave judgment to others.

The office of President brings with it much public exposure, much "ceremonial" activity and some power. The latter is strictly delineated by the Constitution.

Twenty-one years in Irish politics, including 14 as a member of Cabinet, led me to believe that any use of these powers, no matter what the pressure to use them was, required great consideration. The President needs to keep in touch with the activities of the day and the opinions of the Houses of the Oireachtas. But, ironically, the most important use of these powers was sometimes not to employ them at all. Some commentators are not always happy with such considered inaction.

The ceremonial role of the Presidency is a vital part of what a nonexecutive head of state does. In recent times, this activity has been given many names. For me it was a most satisfying part of my life. The public projection of this ceremonial role involves such duties as greeting visiting heads of state and visits abroad.

I made 15 state visits during my two terms of office. I enjoyed especially meeting Irish people in the most unexpected places. It was a source of pride to me how welcome I was as the representative of the Irish people wherever I went, a demonstration of the high opinion in which Ireland and her people are held throughout the world. I know that the visits of the Irish President always lead to increased opportunities for interaction, both commercial and social, between Ireland and the countries visited.

A lesser-known part of the ceremonial role of the Presidency, in my time, was the visits to community groups throughout Ireland. The visit of the President gives support to those who work daily for little or no financial reward to improve their own communities or the lives of people who are disadvantaged. It was often disappointing for those I visited to find little publicity resulted from such visits despite the effort at a local level to prepare for them. The many souvenirs I still have from such visits are a happy reminder of the warmth of the welcomes I received and the work that continues.

There were other more publicly noted events. The historic visit of Pope John Paul II, the momentous nature of which seems now to be forgotten. The king of Spain asked to visit my home place when he and his wife came to Ireland. The ceremony provided by my own people for the Spanish king, at the site of destruction of one of his predecessor's grand plans, was an event at once international and local that is one of my most treasured memories.

There were smaller satisfactions also. One centenarian pointed out to me that the £50 cheque would be of little help in paying for her birthday celebrations. I consulted the Taoiseach of the day. He consulted his calculator and the amount was increased to £250, in line with inflation. This indeed was power used to good advantage. Other pleasant recollections include the many groups of all ages who came to the Aras. Some of these were unknown and went unremarked in the media.

Others were famous and the bearers of hitherto unthought of successes. Eamonn Coghlan with World Championship gold, John Treacy with Olympic silver, the Irish golf team with a European championship, the Irish soccer team fresh from Italian success and, finally, our Special Olympians' constant success on the international stage. These are memories of great joy for me and for the Irish people.

I remember also the private moments for Maeve and myself with our daughter, Vivienne, and son, John, and four grandchildren, all baptised in the Aras. My youngest grandson remains angry that he was ejected from the Park in infancy. For my part, I have no regrets that my term in office is over.

It was a very high honour, I met many wonderful people, but the importance of our Presidency lies, primarily, in the office itself. Those privileged to be President should hold fast to one guiding principle: they must ensure that the Presidency retains its pivotal role in the life of the nation during their term of office.

Dr Patrick Hillery was Uachtaran na hEireann from 1976 to 1990.