Marshalling the troops for inauguration

CLARE people can feel proud of the contribution the county has made to the Presidency of Ireland, according to a Feakle army man, who played a key role in the inauguration ceremony for Michael D Higgins on Friday last.

As a member of the Defence Forces, Feakle native, Commandant Shane Fahy admitted he was honoured to oversee all of the ceremonial aspects of the ceremony in his role as Chief Marshal.
Commandant Fahy recalled President Higgins was briefed by members of the Irish Defence Forces before the inauguration and he was very sure of role that they played and the great honour it was for all army men to play such a central role.
“I was delighted to be involved in the event. When you walk around the State rooms in Áras an Uachtaráin and look at portraits of past presidents and when they are joined by President Higgins, Clare people can feel very proud to see the history and contribution that Clare has made to the Republic of Ireland.
“It was absolutely fantastic. It was the highlight of the year for me. When my role in previous State visits involving Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Albert of Monaco and various other celebrations in Arbour Hill was being outlined to the President-Elect, I assured him his inauguration was the most important and the one which gave me the greatest honour.”
Asked about concerns of protests before the Queen’s visit, he admitted there would always be elements of concern, which had to be taken into account when preparations are being made for a visiting Head of State.
“The amount of work that was put in prior to the Queen’s arrival and the liaison between the gardaí, the Defence Forces and our counterparts in Britain ensured the event went off very well.
“The highlight of the event for me was when Queen Elizabeth II arrived at the front door of Áras an Uachtaráin. The warmth that was extended to her by President McAleese and the way the Queen replied in kind, there was a collective sigh of happiness when we saw the manner in which both heads of state met.
“At this stage we felt nothing can possibly go wrong with this visit. It was an absolutely fantastic visit. All credit to all the agencies that were involved, the gardaí and all the various departments.
“The preparation for that event was very intensive and started three months prior to the visit. With rehearsals and the hard work done by the Irish Defence Forces, I think we acquitted ourselves very well during that visit.
“It was a great honour for me to be there and in future years to say that on the first visit of Her Majesty to Ireland, I was there and I was involved and responsible for the ceremonies in Áras an Uachtaráin, Baldonnel in the Garden of Rememberance, Islandbridge and for her departure in Cork. I had a part to play in all of that.
“I can say every member of the Defence Forces who was involved in the ceremony and in the background and the massive security operation behind it would feel the same way.”