With a quick smile and a quip about the many "distinguished gentlemen" who had gone before, the US First Lady, Mrs Hillary Rodham Clinton, became the First Freewoman of the City of Galway yesterday. Mrs Clinton also received an honorary doctorate of laws. However, the day also featured a protest by anti-war demonstrators.
"A great natural resource, a fine legal mind, an inspiration to aspiring women, a model of the loving yet autonomous wife, a consistent champion of children and a good soul," was how the president of NUI Galway, Dr Patrick Fottrell, summarised her contribution, quoting from the American writer Letty Cottin Pogrebin.
Dr Fottrell paid tribute to her work as a lawyer, academic and public servant, and said she had championed the rights of women and children, while also showing a strong commitment to Northern Ireland.
In her speech, delivered to mark the university's 150th anniversary, Mrs Clinton spoke about the continuing quest for peace.
She flew into Shannon early yesterday morning for her two-day Irish visit. Security was tight, but discreet.
About 100 protesters at the main entrance to NUI Galway missed Mrs Clinton's arrival at the campus, and had moved to Eyre Square by the time she left for Belfast.
However, using megaphones, members of the NO to War campaign, the Socialist Party, several students and representatives of the arts community managed to drown out the Army Band of the 4th Western Brigade as the robed university procession proceeded to the conferring ceremony at Aras na Mac Leinn.an, performed to 1,000 invited guests.
The protesters, including the film-maker Lelia Doolan, the writer, Dervla Murphy, the poet, Rita Ann Higgins, Carol Fox of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, and Micheline Sheehy-Skeffington of NUI Galway, circulated a petition calling on the Government to honour Fianna Fail's election commitment to hold a referendum on membership of Partnership for Peace(PfP).
Members of the public were invited to sign the petition in Eyre Square.
The conferring ceremony was performed by the Chancellor of the National University of Ireland, Dr Garret FitzGerald, while the Mayor of Galway, Councillor Angela Lynch-Lupton, shadowed by the City Manager, Mr Joe Gavin, presented Mrs Clinton with her charter.
She was given a miniature of a specially commissioned bronze sculpture for the university's anniversary by John Behan, and was also presented with a Galway Crystal platter.
Special guests at the ceremony were the Government's representative, the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Ms de Valera, and the Taoiseach's representative, Ms Celia Larkin.
Also among the attendance was the celebrated Aran islander, Bridget Dirrane, who is 104. Mrs Dirrane, a former nurse and staunch Democrat-cum-Kennedy supporter during her time in the US, is listed in The Guinness Book of Records as the oldest holder of a university degree.
