Today, Catherine Connolly will be inaugurated the 10th President of Ireland in a ceremony in Dublin Castle. 

The Galway woman and her husband, Brian McEnery, have stayed overnight in Farmleigh House in the Phoenix Park, from where they will be whisked away in a ceremonial motorcade to Dublin Castle. 

Once the seat of British power in Ireland, it is where she will formally be inaugurated as President of Ireland and Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces. 

Until that moment, she remains President-Elect; in effect, an ordinary citizen with no more constitutional power than the man or woman out for a job in Phoenix Park this morning. 

 “We are in that rare 12 hours every seven years where we are President-less, we have no President,” Political Correspondent Seán Defoe explained to Newstalk Breakfast. 

“Michael D Higgins’ term ended at midnight and he vacated the Áras. 

“She’ll be driven by car from Farmleigh over to Dublin Castle where various dignitaries - including the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, any Ministers and some invited guests - will be gathered.

“We’ll see from her later, which will set a tone for her presidency, who she has chosen to invite.” 

Catherine Connolly with members of her family arriving in Dublin Castle after her victory last month. Picture by: Leah Farrell/ RollingNews.ie.

All previous Presidents have been inaugurated in St Patrick’s Hall in Dublin Castle and Seán described it as “quite a long ceremony”. 

“It’s a two hour long ceremony, there’s various different music being played,” he said. 

“There’s 11 different religious groups to all say a prayer or reflection from Catholic, Protestant, Methodist, humanist, the Islamic centre and interestingly, given that it’s Catherine Connolly, I suppose, the Jewish community in Ireland have been invited as well.” 

The inauguration of President Michael D. Higgins in 2018. Picture by: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie

After the prayers, the Chief Justice will ask her to take the Presidential Oath of Office as Gaeilge. 

It is then that Ms Connolly will assume the powers and responsibilities of the Presidency. 

“There’ll be a speech by the Taoiseach and a speech by Catherine Connolly,” Seán added. 

“She’ll set out her vision an awful lot as Gaeilge, because she says she wants to make it the language of the Áras. 

“We’ll get a good idea of what kind of a President is she going to be? What’s she going to prioritise?” 

Mary Robinson as President. Picture by: Alamy.com.

Unlike Presidential inaugurations in other countries, this one will be “soley an Irish affair”. 

Even the DUP have declined an invite, citing a diary clash. Today is Armistice Day and they had already accepted invitations to events to commemorate the end of the First World War. 

“It’s kind of low key when you compare it to, say, the Royals in the UK or anywhere else,” Seán said. 

“After the ceremony, after she’s sworn in, then there will be the ceremonial drive to Áras an Uachtárain. 

“In the past, we’ve seen people line Dame Street and other parts of the city to watch that - I think the weather might interfere slightly with that today.” 

Afterwards there will be lunch in the Áras, followed by a State reception back in Dublin Castle. 

A Presidential term lasts for seven years and no one serve for more than two.

Main image: Sabina Higgins, Michael D Higgins, Catherine Connolly and Brian McEnery in the Áras. Picture by: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie.