New president pledges ‘all voices’ will be heard and vows to promote climate action, tolerance and a Gaelic revival
Catherine Connolly has vowed to make Ireland a “republic worthy of its name” by using her presidency to champion diversity, the Irish language and the legacy of decolonisation.
Connolly spelled out a leftwing alternative to centre-right orthodoxy in her inauguration speech after being sworn in to office on Tuesday.
“We were led to believe that it was too great a leap, that our ideas were too far out, too left – at odds with the prevailing narrative,” she said, referencing her landslide victory in last month’s election.
“In shared conversations all over the country, however, it became evident that the dominant narrative did not reflect or represent people’s values and concerns. Time and time again, people spoke of how it served to silence, to other, to label, to exclude and to stifle critical thinking.”
