President of Ireland

President of of Ireland
President of of Ireland
	File:Seal of the President of Ireland.png Presidential Seal
	File:Flag of the President of Ireland.svg Presidential Standard
	File:Michael D. Higgins 2006.jpgIncumbent; Michael D. Higgins; since 11 November 2011
Style	President (Uachtarán) or; Your Excellency (A Shoilse)
Residence	Áras an Uachtaráin
Term length	Seven years, renewable once
Inaugural holder	Douglas Hyde
Formation	25 June 1938
Salary	€250,000 per annum
Website	www.president.ie

The President of Ireland (Irish: Uachtarán na hÉireann OOk-te-rawn na HAir-un ) is the head of state of Ireland. It is mostly ceremonial and elections are held every seven years, a person can be elected for up to two terms. The current President of Ireland is Michael D. Higgins.

Duties[change]

Appoints the government: The President formally appoints the Taoiseach (head of government) and other ministers, and accepts their resignations.
Signs bills into law: The President cannot veto a bill that the Dáil and the Seanad have adopted.
Power of pardon: The President, on the advice of the Government, has "the right of pardon and the power to commute or remit punishment".^[2]
The President is ex officio President of the Irish Red Cross Society.^[3]
The President appoints, on the advice of the Government, the Senior Professors and chairman of the council of the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies;^[4]

List of presidents of Ireland[change]

The functions of the President were exercised by the Presidential Commission from the coming into force of the Constitution on 29 December 1937 until the election of Douglas Hyde in 1938, and during the vacancies of 1974, 1976, and 1997.

No.	Name (Birth–Death)	Portrait	Previous service	Term of office		Nominated by	Election
1	Douglas Hyde (1860–1949)	File:Douglas Hyde - Project Gutenberg eText 19028.jpg	Senator (1925, 1938)	25 June 1938	24 June 1945	All-party nomination	1938
2	Séan T. O'Kelly (1882–1966)	File:Sean T OKelly WhiteHouse 19390517.jpg	Tánaiste (1932–1945)	25 June 1945	24 June 1959	Fianna Fáil	1945
2	Séan T. O'Kelly (1882–1966)	File:Sean T OKelly WhiteHouse 19390517.jpg	Tánaiste (1932–1945)	25 June 1945	24 June 1959	Himself^{[n 1]}	1952
3	Éamon de Valera (1882–1975)	File:Eamon de Valera c 1922-30.jpg	Taoiseach (1932–1948, 1951–1954, 1957–1959)	25 June 1959	24 June 1973	Fianna Fáil	1959
3	Éamon de Valera (1882–1975)	File:Eamon de Valera c 1922-30.jpg	Taoiseach (1932–1948, 1951–1954, 1957–1959)	25 June 1959	24 June 1973	Fianna Fáil^{[n 2]}	1966
4	Erskine H. Childers (1905–1974)		Tánaiste (1969–1973)	25 June 1973	17 November 1974	Fianna Fáil	1973
5	Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh^[5] (1911–1978)	File:Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh, 1975 (cropped).jpg	Chief Justice of Ireland (1961–1973)	19 December 1974	22 October 1976	All-party nomination	1974
6	Patrick Hillery (1923–2008)	File:Irish President Patrick Hillery in the Netherlands 1986 (cropped).jpg	European Commissioner for Social Affairs (1973–1976)	3 December 1976	2 December 1990	Fianna Fáil	1976
6	Patrick Hillery (1923–2008)		European Commissioner for Social Affairs (1973–1976)	3 December 1976	2 December 1990	Fianna Fáil	1983
7	Mary Robinson (1944–)	File:Mary Robinson World Economic Forum 2013 crop.jpg	Senator (1969–1989)	3 December 1990	12 September 1997	Labour Party	1990
						Workers' Party
						Independent
8	Mary McAleese (1951–)	File:Mary McAleese.jpg	Reid Professor of Criminal law, Criminology and Penology at Trinity College, Dublin	11 November 1997	10 November 2011	Fianna Fáil	1997
8	Mary McAleese (1951–)	File:Mary McAleese.jpg		11 November 1997	10 November 2011	Herself	2004
9	Michael D. Higgins (1941–)	File:Michael D. Higgins 2006.jpg	Minister for Arts, Culture and Gaeltacht (1993–1997)	11 November 2011	Incumbent	Labour Party	2011

Notes[change]

↑ In 1952 Seán T. O'Kelly re-nominated himself, as was his right under the Constitution. This allowed him a free run, as he was not the nominee of a specific party, and the other parties could let him be re-elected unopposed without loss of face.
↑ Unlike Seán T. O'Kelly in 1952, De Valera was renominated in 1966 by Fianna Fáil. As a result, Fine Gael felt honour bound to nominate a candidate, albeit low key. In the event their candidate, Tom O'Higgins, came within 1% (or 10,000 votes) of winning.

References[change]

↑ "Higher or lower: how does Michael D's new salary compare to other heads of state?". TheJournal.ie. 10 November 2011.
↑ Constitution of Ireland: Article 13.6
↑ Red Cross Act, 1944 Irish Statute Book
↑ "Institute For Advanced Studies Act, 1940". Archived from the original on 2012-01-19. Retrieved 2018-06-01.
↑ His name is sometimes given in the alternative spelling of Carroll O'Daly. Harris M. Lentz, Heads of States and Governments Since 1945 (2014, ISBN 1134264909), p. 421

Other websites[change]

Official website

File:Society.svg This short article about politics can be made longer. You can help Wikipedia by adding to it.

[5] In 1952 Seán T. O'Kelly re-nominated himself, as was his right under the Constitution. This allowed him a free run, as he was not the nominee of a specific party, and the other parties could let him be re-elected unopposed without loss of face.

[6] Unlike Seán T. O'Kelly in 1952, De Valera was renominated in 1966 by Fianna Fáil. As a result, Fine Gael felt honour bound to nominate a candidate, albeit low key. In the event their candidate, Tom O'Higgins, came within 1% (or 10,000 votes) of winning.

[1] "Higher or lower: how does Michael D's new salary compare to other heads of state?". TheJournal.ie. 10 November 2011.

[2] Constitution of Ireland: Article 13.6

[3] Red Cross Act, 1944 Irish Statute Book

[4] "Institute For Advanced Studies Act, 1940". Archived from the original on 2012-01-19. Retrieved 2018-06-01.

[7] His name is sometimes given in the alternative spelling of Carroll O'Daly. Harris M. Lentz, Heads of States and Governments Since 1945 (2014, ISBN 1134264909), p. 421

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[n 1]

[n 2]

[5]