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WITH THE ELECTION count over, attention is already turning to the place Ireland’s next president will soon call home — Áras an Uachtaráin, the official residence of the President.
A working residence and a living piece of history, the Áras has hosted presidents, world leaders, and countless ceremonies since it became the official presidential residence in 1938.
But the house itself is far older, dating back to 1751 when Nathaniel Clements, the Park Ranger for Phoenix Park, built a modest red-brick lodge.
It later became the Viceregal Lodge for the British viceroy, until the end of British rule in Dublin.
The impressive site boasts a total of 95 rooms — here’s a look inside some of them, where the country’s head of state will live, work, and welcome guests over the next seven years.
The first thing visitors see when they step inside is the Entrance Hall, dating back to the original 18th-century house.
Its high, curved ceiling and classical columns give it “a real sense of occasion”, according to the office of the President.
On either side of the doorway stand busts of poet James Clarence Mangan and political leader Daniel O’Connell.
Hanging nearby is a large painting by Chinese artist Zhao Shao Rou, dated 11-11-11 (the day Michael D. Higgins was first inaugurated as president).
This is one of the oldest rooms in the house and often where official guests are received.
A sparkling chandelier hangs overhead (originally from Dublin Castle) with shamrocks, roses, thistles and leeks symbolising the four nations of the old Act of Union.
The ornate couch and chairs once belonged to the Palace of Versailles, a gift to Ireland during Éamon de Valera’s time in office.
You may recognise this one, as it’s one of the Áras’ most photographed rooms.
This is where the president meets the Council of State to seek advice on constitutional matters.
It’s an elegant, slightly old-world room, with a gilded ceiling showing scenes from Aesop’s Fables.
The art here tells its own story too. Séan Keating’s Men of the South hangs alongside portraits of Countess Markievicz and Maud Gonne.
A large painting by Simon Coleman captures the first ever Council of State meeting in 1940.
Once the ballroom, this space is every bit as grand as you’d expect.
Look up and you’ll see a plaster ceiling showing more artwork, and below, a huge Donegal carpet decorated with Irish river symbols and a phoenix rising from the flames.
Built in 1849 for Queen Victoria’s visit, this room is still used for state dinners and important receptions.
The long mahogany table once hosted Cabinet meetings in Leinster House, and still does for the first meeting of each new government.
Portraits of past presidents line the walls, and the two fireplaces were originally gifted to Archbishop Murray of Dublin before finding their way here.
Walking through this corridor feels a bit like strolling through the Áras’s own Hall of Fame.
One side displays busts of all the presidents so far; the other features decorative plaster panels by the Lafranchini brothers, master craftsmen from the 18th century.
Just outside, in the walled flower garden, a long glasshouse designed by Richard Turner shelters fruit trees and vines.
Inside, peaches, kiwis and even kumquats grow.
The garden still provides fresh blooms and produce for events in the house.
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