Mayor McCarthy Leads County Clare Tribute To Late Dr. Patrick Hillery

Councillor Patricia McCarthy said she was saddened to hear of the 84-year-old’s passing.

The Mayor said that Dr Hillery would be best remembered for delivering the stability the country required from the Office of the President during both his terms.

"The mid-1970s was a turbulent time for the Irish Presidency. President Erskine Childers died in office in 1974 and two years later his successor, Cearbhall O’Dáilaigh, resigned the position. A stable Presidency was required for the country, and with Hillery’s period as E.E.C. Commissioner coming to an end, he was invited to put his name forward as the Fianna Fáil candidate in the upcoming Presidential Election. Though reluctant, Dr Hillery put his country first and accepted the nomination. Consequently, Hillery was elected, as he was the only candidate, becoming the sixth President of Ireland on 3 December 1976. He was elected unopposed for a second seven-year term in 1983" she explained.

The Mayor noted that Dr. Hillery was an immensely popular President at home and abroad.

"Patrick Hillery was a wonderful ambassador for County Clare and Ireland. Wherever he went he brought a wonderful sense of responsibility with him and always a sense of pride in the country he was representing. The remarkable list of Honours and Decorations he was awarded during his two terms as President is testament to his popularity and the high regard in which he was held", she added.

Mayor McCarthy stated that Dr. Hillery was very proud of his native County Clare.

"Besides spending every summer at his family home in Spanish Point, I know that Dr Hillery was very interested in the exploits of Clare’s football and hurling teams. As a West Clare man he was especially delighted to see the Clare footballers win the Munster Championship in 1992. He was also very proud of the fact that Clare won the All Ireland Hurling Championship in 1995 and 1997", the Mayor said.

Mr. Alec Fleming, Clare County Manager today stated he was saddened to hear of Dr. Hillery’s passing.

He added, "Dr. Hillery was one of Ireland’s most loved Statesmen who will always be remembered for his humility, ability to communicate with all people and, most of all, his love for his country and his native County Clare. Indeed, Clare County Council was honoured to hold a Civic reception for Dr. Hillery and for the past three years Dr. Hillery’s two terms as President have been profiled and celebrated in one of Clare Museum’s most successful ever exhibitions".

Commenting on ‘From There To Here: The State Visits Of The Hillery Presidency’, Mr. John Rattigan, Curator, Clare Museum, stated, "Since the summer of 2000, Clare Museum has received in instalments, a large collection of presentations and gifts made to Dr Patrick Hillery while carrying out his public duties during a political career, which spanned from 1951-1990. These now form part of one of the most successful exhibitions ever hosted by Clare Museum. The exhibition was also the first major exhibition put on by the Museum."

He continued, "The popularity of the exhibition has meant that it has been hosted outside Clare Museum at Branch Libraries across County Clare. Clare people have shown a great affection for and interest in Dr. Hillery’s career achievements. I know from speaking with many of the thousands of people who visited the exhibition that they are honoured to describe the late Dr. Patrick Hillery as one of their own"

"Personally, during my many encounters with Dr Hillery I found him to be down to earth and approachable. Having organised an exhibition on his life I learned that he was also an extremely astute politician. These wonderful qualities combined made Dr Hillery an outstanding individual and President", concluded Mr. Rattigan.

Patrick John Hillery was born on 2 May 1923, in Spanish Point, Miltown Malbay, County Clare. The son of Michael Joseph Hillery and Ellen McMahon, he attended Miltown Malbay National School before going on to Rockwell College for his secondary education. At third level he attended University College Dublin and when he graduated, with a degree in medicine in 1947, he returned to Miltown Malbay where he worked as a doctor, like his father had done before him.

First elected at the 1951 General Election as a Fianna Fáil TD for Clare, he remained in Dáil Éireann until 1973. During this time he served as Minister for Education (1959-1965), Minister for Industry & Commerce (1965-1966), Minister for Labour (1966-1969) and Minister for External Affairs (1969-1973). In 1973 he was appointed Ireland's first European Commissioner, serving until 1976 when he was appointed President.

Dr. Hillery welcomed over a dozen heads of State to Ireland during his two terms of Presidency. They included Queen Margrethe II of Denmark (1978); His Excellency Francois Mitterand, President of France (1988); The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Japan (1985); His Excellency Chaim Hertzog, President of Israel (1985); His Excellency Daniel Ortega, President of Nicaragua (1989); Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands (1990); His Excellency Dr. Carl Carstens, President of the Federal Republic of Germany (1980); and His Holiness Pope John Paul II (1979).

The former President made a similar number of official visits abroad. They included attending the funerals of Yugoslavia’s President Tito (1980); USSR Presidents Bresnev (1982), Andropov (1984) and Chernenko (1985); Egyptian President Sadat (1981); Princess Grace of Monaco (1982); and Emperor Hirohito of Japan (1989).

He also made officially visits abroad to address the Parliamentary Assembly Of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg (1985), accept the Robert Schumann Gold Medal in Metz (1986), attend the Bicentennial Celebrations of the French Revolution (1989), and attend the enthronements of Pope John Paul I (1978) and Pope John Paul II (1978).

Other countries visited by Dr. Hillery during State Visits were India (1978), Tanzania (1980), Bahrain (1980), Denmark (1983), New Zealand (1985), Australia (1985), Austria (1986) and China (1988).

During his Presidency, Dr Hillery received the following Honours and Decorations:
Honours
LLD (Honoris Causa, 1977),
University of Dublin
Honorary Fellowship,
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 1977
Honorary Fellowship,
Faculty of Dentistry, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 1977
Honorary Fellowship,
All India Institute of Medical Sciences, 1978
Honorary Life Membership,
Irish Medical Association, 1978
Honorary Fellowship,
Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, 1978
Honorary Fellowship,
Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland, 1979
Honorary Fellowship,
Royal College of General Practitioners, 1982
Honorary Fellowship,
Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, 1984
Honorary Fellowship,
Faculty of Community Medicine, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, 1986
Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa, 1985),
University of Melbourne
Honorary Doctorate in Philosophy, (Honoris Causa, 1988),
Pontifical Univeristy of Maynooth
Honorary Doctor of Laws,
University of Limerick, 1990
Honorary Freedom of the City of Dublin, 1991
Membre du Counseil:
Fondation Jean Monnett pour L’Europe

Decorations
The Gran Croce con Gran Cordone Al Merito Medal, 1986
Grand Cross of the Netherlands Lion, 1986
Robert Schumann Gold Medal, 1986
Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, 1988
Collar of the Pian Order, 1989
Collar of the Order of Merit, Order of Malta, 1990

-ENDS-

Notes to Editor:
Mayor of Clare, Councillor Patricia McCarthy (087-4187132) and John Rattigan, Curator, Clare Museum (087-2065404) are available for interview and further comment.
For further information please contact Mark Dunphy of Dunphy Public Relations on 086-8534900 or media@dunphypr.com
All biographical information contained above has been provided courtesy of Clare Museum

Mark Dunphy
Dunphy Public Relations
www.dunphypr.com
00353-868534900 (mobile)
00353-656839692 (fax)