At precisely eight minutes to 12 today Mrs Mary McAleese is due to take her last steps as President-elect. She will be greeted by the Tanaiste, Ms Harney, and the Minister for the Marine, Dr Woods, when she arrives at Dublin Castle. About two hours later she will walk out the eighth President of Ireland.
Mrs McAleese will be driven to the Castle in the 49-year-old presidential Rolls Royce, registration ZJ 5000. She will be accompanied by a Defence Force motorbike escort of honour of 36 officers from the 2nd Cavalry Squadron from Cathal Brugha Barracks. The escort will for the first time include a female officer, Lieut Eadaoin McNamara, who will be at the head of the group.
Accompanied by Lieut Col Diarmuid O Mordha, Lieut Col Declan O'Carroll, Col Bernard Howard, senior Aide de Camp to the President, and Comdt Dermot O'Connor, ADC to the President, she will proceed to the throne room.
As the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, members of the Council of State and clergy enter, the Army No 1 Band will play an Intrada composed especially for the occasion by Comdt Joseph Ryan.
An inter-denominational service will be held before the inauguration ceremony. During the ceremony, the Chief Justice, Mr Justice Hamilton, will read the declaration to Mrs McAleese who will repeat it and then sign it.
As this happens, the presidential standard will be hoisted on the roof of the State Apartments and at Aras an Uachtarain and a 21gun salute will be fired from the grounds of the Royal Hospital Kilmainham. The blank rounds will be fired at five-second intervals. Also, the presidential pennant will be placed on the lead motorcycle in the escort, replacing the unit pennant. Mr Ahern will give a speech, to which the new President will reply. When she sits down there will be a long drumroll followed by the national anthem.
She will leave the Castle and inspect a guard of honour of 100 officers of all ranks from McKee Barracks in Dublin, parading with the standard rifle of the Defence Forces. She will then meet the children gathered in the courtyard, who have been invited from schools from the 32 counties.
The procession to Aras an Uachtarain will drive down Dame Street, Westmoreland Street and across O'Connell Bridge. At the top of O'Connell Street the procession will drive against the flow of the traffic on to Parnell Square, and move up Frederick Street North by Blessington Street and Berkeley Road to the North Circular Road. The convoy will enter the Phoenix Park via the North Circular Road entrance.
The entire Cabinet is expected to attend a lunch hosted by the President at Aras an Uachtarain. Also on the guest list are: Mr Justice Hamilton, Nobel prize winner Seamus Heaney, former president, Dr Patrick Hillery, the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Lieut Gen Gerard MacMahon, the Archbishop of Armagh, Dr Sean Brady, Garda Commissioner, Mr Pat Byrne, the former hostage, Mr Brian Keenan, former Taoiseach Mr Charles Haughey, the Irish-American publisher, Mr Niall O'Dowd, and RTE broadcaster Gay Byrne.
The President will host a reception for 200 people, including friends and campaign workers, at Aras an Uachtarain at 5.30 p.m. An hour later there will be a fireworks display in the Phoenix Park. About 7 p.m. the President will leave Aras an Uachtarain for a State reception in Dublin Castle.
Yesterday the head of the Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland (ASTI) said any part-time or substitute teachers who were not paid for today should contact their union.
State schools will be closed today, and earlier there was concern that part-time teachers would not be paid. However, the Department of Education has confirmed they will be paid for the day.
The National Parents' Council said the Department of Education should reconsider giving pupils the day off. "A valuable education opportunity exists for schools to use this day to help children to understand how our democracy works, to discuss the role of the President and maybe even have a celebration in school."
