President Connolly welcomed staff from Kylemore Abbey, Co. Galway, as they delivered two Connemara ponies to Áras an Uachtaráin for a three month stay.
The Connemara pony "Ruby" and her foal “Pippa” are set to graze in the grounds of the Áras as part of a programme of work to enhance the biodiversity of the 130-acre site.
The partnership also builds on an earlier arrangement, dating back to President Childers, who presented a herd of pure-bred Connemara ponies to the State, in 1974.
The current herd of ponies in the Connemara National Park are direct descendants of those presented by President Childers.