From Dev on the rugby fields to Michael D. at Terryland Park

SPORTING links with the Presidency of Ireland were maintained with the elevation of Michael D. Higgins to high office. The new President of the country was already the honorary President of Galway Utd F.C. and a genuinely keen fan of the club; he made regular visits to Terryland Park, despite their poor results last year. In November, along with the Taoiseach, President Higgins was among the large attendance at Galway Sportsground for the Connacht rugby team's first home match in Europe's premier club tournament. The former President, Mary McAleese, is known to be very keen on sport and her husband Martin was a talented Gaelic footballer in his student days; he played at right full-forward for Queen's University, Belfast in the 1971 Sigerson Cup final against U.C.C who had the great Moss Keane (R.I.P.) at full-back. That game was played at Pearse Stadium, Salthill where Q.U.B. won by 0-7 to 0-6. Mary Robinson, President from 1990 to 1997, is a member of the Bourke family from Ballina, Co. Mayo, well known in rugby circles, mainly through the achievements in playing and coaching for many years of Mrs Robinson's brothers Oliver and Aubrey Bourke. [private] Dr Patrick Hillery, President from 1976 until 1990, was a keen golfer, playing off a handicap of 7. It was the highest of any Head of State in Europe in those years. Éamon de Valera, President from 1959 to 1973, played rugby at Blackrock College, Dublin and later at Rockwell College, at full-back on the senior team who reached the final of the Munster Senior Cup. He remained a lifelong devotee of rugby, attending international matches towards the end of his life despite near blindness. He also went to Croke Park for the All-Ireland hurling and football finals most years but in 1967 he told the British Ambassador to Ireland that rugby was his favourite sport. Here in the West we know that the first of Ireland's nine Presidents, Dubhghlas de hÃÂde (known as An Craoibhín Aoibhinn, 'the Pleasant Little Branch') had the Roscommon G.A.A. grounds, Hyde Park, named in his honour. Douglas Hyde was born at Longford House, Castlerea while his mother Elizabeth (née Oldfield) was on a short visit there. His father, Arthur Hyde, whose family were originally from Castlehyde, Fermoy, Co. Cork, was Church of Ireland rector of Kilmactranny, Co. Sligo from 1852 to 1867, and it was there that Douglas Hyde spent his early years. Later they moved to Frenchpark, Co. Roscommon. Also the founder of the Gaelic League, Douglas Hyde was President of Ireland from 1938 to 1945. [/private]