Inauguration of President O'Ceallaigh, 1952

Today marks the inauguration of the 47th President of the United States of America, Donald Trump. Millions watched across the world to see Trump take office for the second and in doing so promising to bring a number of changes to the USA.

Todays post looks back the inauguration of President Sean T O’Ceallaigh in Ireland in 1952, being his second term in office. The event took place in June 1952, with the Irish Examiner noting:

THE Presidential inauguration ceremonies on Wednesday next will be on the same general lines as those of the ceremonies held on the occasions of the two previous Presidential inaugurations in 1938 and 1945. They will include special services which will be held by various religious denominations on the day of the inauguration; the Inauguration ceremony itself which will take place at St. Patrick's Hall, Dublin Castle, at 1 p.m. and a reception by the Taoiseach and Bean de Valera in honour of the President and Bean Ui Cheallaigh which will also take place In St. Patrick's Hall at 8 p.m. that evening. To invoke the blessing of God on the Inauguration, a Solemn Votive Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. in the Pro Cathedral.

The Irish Independent reported in advance of the big day that:

The inauguration ceremony in St. Patrick's Hall, Dublin Castle, will be at 1 p.m., and will be brief and impressive. The following are the categories of persons who have been invited to the ceremony: Members of the Government; members of the Presidential Commission; members of the Council of State; heads of Diplomatic Missions; leading representatives of the various Churches; judges; Parliamentary Secretaries; members of the Dail and Seanad; a number of Six-County M.P.s and Senators; the widows of the executed 1916 leaders; the chairmen of the Old I.R.A. organisations; the former Seanascal; relatives of the President-elect; the Lord Mayors and Mayors and the chairmen of Co. Councils; the chairman or president of each of the 42 Seanad Nominating Bodies; representatives of the Universities; editors of daily and Sunday newspapers; and representatives of the Civil Service. Army and Garda Siochana.

For more on this search the pages of the Irish Newspaper Archives (www.irishnewsarchive.com