Katie O’Brien, Kate Phelan, Darragh O’Sullivan, Gráinne Phelan, Ríain O’Donoghue and myself were lucky enough to attend a Presidential Garden Party on Saturday June 27th in the Áras accompanied by Jamie and Maura. We assembled at the train station at 10:30 looking elegant and excited about the day ahead! There was an electric atmosphere on the train as we chatted about past and future projects of Comhairle and there was plenty of political and presidential banter.
We were chauffeured by taxis to the Áras from Heuston station. A wave of excitement came upon us all as we drove up through Phoenix Park. We were escorted to Ratra House for administration. The office of Public Works provided buses to the Áras. Everyone was smiling and many people on the bus were taking selfies. The driveway up to the Áras was decorated beautifully with pink petunias in a linear structure and begonia’s embedded into the rich soil. When I first caught a glimpse of the Áras with the tricolour flying frantically, I felt proud to be Irish.
We assembled for a quick photo before entering the building at 14:30. The marble tiled floor and coved ceiling enhanced the beauty and architectural work. We were given a schedule for the day and individually greeted by The First Lady Sabina Higgins upon entry. It was a very nice touch and made everybody feel welcome and important. We roamed around the decorated rooms of the Áras such as the dining area, the room where the Queen visited and the past President’s Memorial Hall. They were all very impressive and eye catching. We explored the Garden’s for a while where the President was strolling around with his two Bernese Mountain dogs. The garden was plotted with summer bedding plants nucleated throughout and a central water feature encased by shrubbery of every kind. There were various music acts playing throughout the day for the guests to enjoy and relax with. We visited the walled garden and greenhouse too which was bursting with vibrant violet flowers. A sense of importance and pride was felt as I chilled adjacent to the main stage taking in the sites.
We shuddered towards the marquee at 15:45 for light refreshments and the President’s speech. We were seated on the left hand side of the President’s table. Summer fruits, scones, salmon, beverages both hot and cold, chocolate and sandwiches were served. The food was mouth-watering and excited the taste buds! Chris O’Donoghue from UTV Ireland was the MC. He encouraged everyone to mingle and enjoy the remainder of the day. The President gave a very inspirational speech thanking each and every one present for the work that they do. His speech was from the heart with humour thrown in here and there to keep everyone focused. Everybody took something from it. Various bands played to enhance the atmosphere of the afternoon. Sabina encouraged everybody to take to the dance floor and join her. A lively atmosphere brewed as the music filled the air. Jamie and I chatted to Chris O’Donoghue and we got a photo with the inspirational man. As the music slowly came to end so did our time at the Áras. We headed for the main door at 17:20. OPW buses shuttled us back to Heuston Bridge.
We arrived at Heuston Station and went to Supermac’s for a bite to eat. I quote Darragh “we were way too overdressed for Supermac’s” We recalled the day’s events, browsed through our photos and sent photo’s to each other before dashing to platform 4 to catch our train home. We continued to chat about the day on the trip home and before we knew it we were back home. It was remarkable and a great achievement to be invited to the Áras at such young ages. The day was well and truly enjoyed by all and it was an experience that I’ll never forget!
