Cllr Niamh McGowan of Meath County Council and Cllr Finnan McCoy of Louth County Council at the soon to be named Mary McAleese Boyne Valley Bridge
The Boyne Valley Bridge on the M1 motorway at Drogheda is set to be renamed in honour of former Irish president Mary McAleese.
The bridge will be rededicated next week as the Mary McAleese Boyne Valley Bridge, in honour of the eighth president of Ireland – who served from 1997 to 2011.
The bridge naming will be marked at a ceremony in Oldbridge Estate, Co Meath on Saturday, June 8 that will be attended by the former President and her family as well as An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD, and invited guests including community and political leaders from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
What is now to become the Mary McAleese Boyne Valley Bridge first opened to traffic 10 years ago on June 9, 2003. The decision to name the bridge in honour of former President McAleese was taken by Meath County Council and Louth County Council, the local authorities whose administrative areas the route traverses.
Cllr Finnan McCoy, Cathaoirleach, Louth County Council, said: “When she was elected President of Ireland in 1997, Mrs McAleese made ‘Building Bridges’ her theme and this was something that she brought vividly to life by reaching out to communities across Ireland who would previously have felt marginalised and excluded. Just recently, we marked the 15thanniversary of the Good Friday Agreement – a reminder that this is recent but important history.
“As a distinguished barrister and law professor with media experience, Mrs McAleese had many paths open to her but took up the challenge of public life and applied her intelligence and empathy to great positive impact through 14 years. The Presidential oath requires holders of this office to dedicate their abilities ‘to the service and welfare of the people of Ireland’ – something that Mrs McAleese certainly did. It is, therefore, fitting that she be honoured and especially so that this be done at what is an iconic bridge on the main route linking the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.”
Talk of the Town 