Mrs McAleese, with husband Senator Martin McAleese by her side, attended the St Vincent de Paul homeless centre for men in Christchurch, Dublin, in her last engagement.
“On the one hand it is sad but I have a great sense of gratitude. It was just a wonderful, wonderful opportunity to waken up every morning to be the country’s primary ambassador and to love every day of it.”
“If you give me two seconds I’ll be in floods of tears. Gratitude and sadness are pretty much in equal measure today.”
[To president-elect Higgins] “Just enjoy, enjoy being President. I woke up every morning full of joy. I loved every day of the job. I was energised by it, and I was energised by the people I met because that’s the source of your energy.”
McAleese At last Official Function (Irish Times)