PICTURES: 'Humbly and proudly' - Catherine Connolly inaugurated as Ireland's 10th president

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Catherine Connolly has been inaugurated as Ireland's 10th president on Wednesday as she said she will ensure "all voices are represented, heard and valued".

Taoiseach Micheál Martin, former presidents Mary McAleese and Mary Robinson, and outgoing president Micheal D Higgins, who received a warm round of applause as he arrived in the hall for the ceremony, were among those attending the ceremony in St Patrick’s Hall at Dublin Castle.

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The independent TD from Galway, who is a former psychologist and barrister, repeated in Irish the Declaration of Office – which was read to her by Chief Justice Donal O’Donnell.

Ms Connolly then signed the declaration and was officially declared president.

A 21-gun salute was fired from Collins Barracks as Ms Connolly was handed the Seal of Office.

In her first address as president, Ms Connolly said said she will ensure "all voices are represented, heard and valued," and that she stood in front of those gathered "humbly and proudly as the 10th president of this beautiful country".

Ms Connolly said,

"The people have spoken and have given their president a powerful mandate to articulate their vision for a new republic, a republic worthy of its name where everyone is valued and diversity is cherished, where sustainable solutions are urgently implemented, and where a home is a fundamental human right.

"The change that led to this joyful day began with the small group of elected representatives and volunteers facing what appeared to be insurmountable challenges.

"We were led to believe that it was too great a leap, that our ideas were too far out, too left – at odds with the prevailing narrative.

"In shared conversations all over the country, however, it became evident that the dominant narrative did not reflect or represent people’s values and concerns.

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"Time and time again, people spoke of how it served to silence, to other, to label, to exclude and to stifle critical thinking.

"Along with that meaningful engagement, we saw the emergence of hope. We saw the emergence of joy, along with the courage and determination of people to use their voices to shape a country that we can be proud of.

"Unfortunately, we have all become witnesses to ongoing wars and genocide," she added.

"Given our history, the normalisation of war and genocide has never been and will never be acceptable to us.

"As a sovereign independent nation with the long and cherished tradition of neutrality and an uninterrupted record of peacekeeping since 1958, Ireland is particularly well-placed to lead and articulate alternative diplomatic solutions to conflict and war.

"Indeed, our experience of colonisation and resistance of a catastrophic man-made famine and forced immigration gives us a lived understanding of dispossession, hunger and war and a mandate for Ireland to lead."

Ms Connolly said Ireland could take "real pride in the success" of the Good Friday Agreement as a "model for the peaceful resolution of conflict".

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Ms Connolly and her husband Brian McEnery will next depart for Áras an Úachtarain, before returning later to Dublin Castle for a State reception dinner.

Her victory was hailed as a significant moment for the left in Ireland as opposition parties had united to back her to prevent the two major parties – Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, who are currently government partners – from winning the presidency.

Ms Connolly went head-to-head with former Fine Gael minister Heather Humphreys after ex-Dublin football manager Jim Gavin withdrew from campaigning following a 16-year-old dispute with an ex-tenant emerging.

His withdrawal weeks before polling day intensified criticism that the election offered voters limited options.

Another significant outcome of the presidential election was the record high number of votes deliberately spoiled: there were 213,738 invalid ballots, representing a tenfold increase in invalid ballots compared to the 2018 election.