President of Ireland

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The President of Ireland serves as the Head of State of the Republic of Ireland. He or she is elected every seven years, with a two-term limit. The office is based on that of the Governor General, the representative of the British monarch which technically existed in Ireland until Ireland's secession from the British Commonwealth in 1949, but was so diminished during the second decade of independent Ireland's existence that it had been replaced by the office of President eleven years beforehand. Presidential candidates are nominated by the major political parties, though when elected, a President is required to be non-partisan.

The President is largely a ceremonial figure. He or she represents Ireland at important events, and makes state visits to other heads of state on a regular basis. He or she is also responsible for signing bills into law, though beyond this he or she does not have any political power. The President resides in Arás an Uachtaráin (a-raws on ook-ti-rawn, literally, "The President's House") in Phoenix Park, Dublin.

The current President of Ireland is Michael D. Higgins, who was elected in 2011.

Presidents of Ireland[edit]

#	President	Years	Nominated by	Notes
1	Douglas Hyde	1938 - 1945	Unanimous nomination	At the time, his status as a Protestant President was regarded a sign of progression.
2	Sean T. O'Kelly	1945 - 1959	Fíanna Fáil	First President to serve two terms.
3	Eamon de Valera	1959 - 1973	Fíanna Fáil
4	Erskine Childers	1973 - 1974	Fíanna Fáil	First President to die in office.
5	Cerbhaill O'Dálaigh	1974 - 1976	Unanimous nomination	First President to resign.
6	Patrick Hillery	1976 - 1990	Fíanna Fáil
7	Mary Robinson	1990 - 1997	Labour Party	Ireland's first female President.
8	Mary McAleese	1997 - 2011	Fíanna Fáil / Independent
9	Michael D. Higgins	2011 -	Labour / Independent