PEOPLE FELT touched and uplifted by the presence of President Mary McAleese in every parish across the country, the Taoiseach told the Dáil.

“She had the same beaming smile for everyone,” said Enda Kenny.

He added that it was no surprise Mrs McAleese chose to spend her last day in office at a refurbished building for homeless men in Dublin.

“For me, two of the more recent iconic images come to mind,” said Mr Kenny.

“Two women, head to toe in black, standing silently beside each other, our President and Queen Elizabeth at the Island of Ireland Peace Park in Messines.”

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore said that over her 14 years as president, she had come to be held in the highest esteem by the Irish people.

A president, he said, shared in the good times and was a pillar of support in bad times.

“President McAleese was all of these and more,” he added.

Mr Gilmore said that Mrs McAleese had made it her particular mission – assisted by her husband, Senator Martin McAleese – to establish connections with people in the loyalist community in particular.

These were people who had in the past been alienated, not just from the South, but in some cases from the rest of society in Northern Ireland.

“In undertaking this work, the President and Senator McAleese have been prepared to take risks, but they have achieved quite dramatic results,” said Mr Gilmore.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said Mrs McAleese had carried out her duties wisely and independently, motivated only by her overwhelming commitment to serve the Irish people.

“That I believe history may well record Mary McAleese as our finest president underlines the ability she has shown in her time in office,” he added.

“Our country has truly benefited from Mary McAleese’s presidency, and the contribution she and Senator Martin McAleese have made to Irish society since 1997 has been superb.”

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (SF) said Mrs McAleese would be remembered as a president who made a very significant, long-term and consistent contribution to the building of lasting peace and true reconciliation in Ireland. Mrs McAleese and her husband had consistently championed the potential of a new dispensation on the island.

“They worked in a very special way for reconciliation between the diverse traditions in Ireland,’’ he added.

Finian McGrath (Ind) said she was a person of great courage, integrity and a president who reached out and built many bridges with all of the people on the island.

Maureen O’Sullivan (Ind) said Mrs McAleese was a bridge-builder and a person with a great sense of humanity.

Mattie McGrath (Ind) said every minute of her tenure had been spent tirelessly working at home and abroad on behalf of the Irish people.