Our new President, Michael D Higgins took office today. The 71 year old poet, politician and human rights activist has promised a “presidency of transformation”, saying that Ireland has to "close the chapter on that which has failed, that which was not the best version of ourselves as a people, and open a new chapter based on a different version of our Irishness - will require a transition in our political thinking, in our view of the public world, in our institutions, and, most difficult of all, in our consciousness.'
His words reflect what a lot of people think today, that we have to move away from the bitter lessons of the so called Celtic Tiger years when materialism was rampant and work towards creating a society which
puts people first. A difficult task given the state of the world economy but an important one if our children aren't to become the next generation of Irish emigrants.