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Speeches

Inauguration Address by President Sean T. O’Ceallaigh 25th June 1952, Dublin Castle

Ta mé fíor-bhuíoch díot de bharr na cainte rí- chineálta atá déanta agat in thaobh. Gabhainn mo bhuíochas libh go léir as ucht teacht anseo chun bhur ndeamhéin dom féin agus bhur n-ómos d’oifig an Uachtaráin a thaispeáint. Cuireamnn sé athas mór orm sibh a bheith anseo ar an ócáid tábhachtach seo. Tugann sé dóchas agus misneach dom ag dul i gceann an dara téarma mar Uachtarán  dom.

Is maith liom caoi a bheith agam arís chun buíochas ó chroí a ghabháil le cinnirí agus le comhaltaí gach páirtí polaitíochta as ucht mé a thoghadh  gan iomaíocht chun an dara téarma oifige. Níorbh fhéidir é sin a dhéanamh gan aontú na gcinnirií sin go léir. Is mór agam an comhartha ard- mheasa sin.

I gcomaoin na hard-mhuiníne sin atá á chur ionam, ní thig liom ach a gheallúint do phobal uile na hÉireann go ndéanfad mo dhícheall, le cúnamh agus le coimirce Dé, mo dhualgais mar Uachtarán a chomhlíonadh go dílis agus dúthrachtach do réir an Bhunreachta

Níor chuí dhom gan mo bhain –chéile a luadh agus mé ag gabhaíl buíochais as ucht mé’d’atoghadh. Ba chóir dom a rá, chomh maith, pé bail nó buaidh a meastar a bheith ar mo shaothar sna seacht mbliana  atá caite, nach hféadfadh sé bheith ann mura mbéadh an cuidiú fial fónta a fuaireas uaithi.

Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis na daoine go léir a chomhoibrigh chomh fonnmhar sin liom i rith na seacht mblian atá caite agus mé ag comhlíonadh mo dhualgas. Táim ag cuimhneamh go háirithe ar chomhaltaí an da Rialtas bhí i seilbh oifge i rith na haimsire sin, ar chomhaltaí na Comhairle Stáit agus  ar comhaltaí an Choimisiúin Uachtaráin. Is deimhin liom go mbeidgh an chabhair chéanna sin le fáil feasta, agus is mór an dóchas agus an t-árdú meanman a thugann sin dom agus mé ag dul i gceann and dara téarma mar Uachtarán.

Bheirimíd buíchoas do Dhia na Glóire a thug slán sinn ón anró atá á fhulang ag an oiread sin náisiún eile- san aimsir seo lena samhlaítear síocaháin. Go dtuga Sé, as ucht A thrócaire go néireoidh linn an cion saoirse, síochána agua rathúnais atá again faoi láthair a chaomhaint. Go dtála Sé  orainn i gcónaí na grása agus na beannachta sin, agus go ndeona Sé go bhfeicimíd, lenár linn féin, buaidh na gcuspóirí a shanntaigh na glúna dár muintir,le tnúth agus le troid: Éire uile aontaithe agus soar ó smacht. Tá a fhios agam go ndéanfaidh gach duine anseo comhghuí dúthrachtach liom gur gear go tiocfaidh sé sin chun críche

{* I offer you my warmest thanks for your most kind words. I am grateful to all of you who have come here to show your goodwill towards  me and your respect for the Presidential Office. May I say that your presence here on this important occasion affords me very great pleasure . It is a source of hope and comfort to me as I enter upon my second term as President.

I would like to take this opportunity to say again how profoundly grateful I am to the leaders and members of all our political parties for my election without opposition to a second term of office.  Without the agreement of all these leaders, this would not have been possible. I deeply appreciate the striking compliment implied.

In return for the great confidence thus reposed in me, I can only promise the whole people of Ireland that, granted the guidance and help of Almighty God, I will do my best to carry out my duties as President faithfully and zealously according to the Constitution.

It would not be proper if I did not associate my wife with this expression of thanks on my re-election. I should add, too, that whatever success I may be deemed to have achieved during the last seven years would not have been possible without her generous and most capable assistance.

I want to thank all those who, during the past seven years, so willingly co-operated with me in the discharge of my official duties.  I have in mind particularly the members of the two Governments who held office during that period, the members of the Presidential Commission and the members of the Council of State. I feel assured that that generous aid will be ever available in future, and, in the belief , I enter upon my second period as president with hope and confidence.

We give thanks to Almighty God who has preserved us from so much of the suffering which so many other peoples have to endure- even in these days of supposed peace. May He, in His mercy, grant that we can preserve the measure of liberty, peace and prosperity which we now enjoy. May He grant us a  continuance of these graces and favours and may it also be permitted to us to see in our day the fulfilment of the ideals of complete national unity and freedom for which so many generations of our people have yearned and fought . I know that all here will join with me in and earnest prayer that these aims may be speedily achieved}