Former Irish President Remembered

Former Irish President Patrick Hillery died on the weekend at the age of 84 following a short illness. He served two terms as President of Ireland and as foreign minister he negotiated Ireland's 1973 entry to the future European Union. He subsequently served as Ireland's first European Commissioner.

Ambassador John Bruton, Head of the European Commission's Delegation to Washington, remembered Hillery as "an exceptionally good President."

"The modest and dignified way in which he conducted his two full terms in office enhanced the Presidency considerably," he said. "He was open-minded and gave consideration to the views and concerns of politicians of all parties. As a person, Paddy Hillery was gentle and self-effacing. As a public servant he was quietly determined, leaving a large legacy of work that helped transform our education system and secure our place in the European Union."

EU Commissioner Charlie McCreevy said that Hillery was a man "who was more interested in policies than politics. He pioneered the reform in Irish education; he led Ireland's accession to the EU and his groundbreaking work as European Commissioner contributed to developing the equality of rights we now take for granted."

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