Well-wishers gathered outside Áras an Uachtaráin on Monday evening as President Michael D. Higgins and his wife, Sabina, departed the presidential residence on his final day in office. The couple were met with cheers and handed yellow roses, a gesture said to symbolize friendship and joy.
Members of the Sanctuary Runners — a group made up of Irish citizens, migrants, asylum seekers and refugees of which Mr. Higgins is patron — formed a guard of honour at the gates in Phoenix Park. Monica Pumpkin, originally from Botswana and a member of the group, presented yellow roses to the couple in gratitude for Higgins’s support during his presidency.
Earlier in the day, owners of Bernese mountain dogs arrived to say their farewells. President Higgins has kept several Bernese mountain dogs while in office, including his current five-year-old dog, Misneach.
In a statement marking the end of his term, Mr. Higgins described serving as president as “a great privilege” and thanked the people of Ireland “for the warmth of reception which they gave to both Sabina and myself over the past 14 years,” saying the role allowed him to work on issues and projects that promoted inclusive citizenship and a creative society.
A portrait of Mr. Higgins was removed from its central position inside the main entrance to Leinster House earlier in the day. Incoming president Catherine Connolly will be inaugurated at a ceremony in Dublin Castle on Tuesday.
