Meath County Council Cathaoirleach, Cllr Niamh McGowan and Louth County Council Cathaoirleach, Cllr Finan McCoy, with the Boyne Cable Bridge in the background.

Boyne cable bridge to be named after President Mary McAleese

John Donohoe

Published: Wed 29 May 2013, 5:14 PM

Last updated: Wed 29 May 2013, 6:19 PM

Former President Mary McAleese is to be honoured next week with the naming of the cable-stay bridge near Drogheda on the M1 motorway as the Mary McAleese Boyne Valley Bridge.

The bridge naming will be marked at a ceremony in Oldbridge Estate, Co Meath on Saturday, 8th June that will be attended by the former President and her family as well as An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD, and invited guests including community and political leaders from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

What is now to become the Mary McAleese Boyne Valley Bridge first opened to traffic 10 years ago on 9th June 2003. The decision to name the bridge in honour of former President McAleese was taken by Meath County Council and Louth County Council, the local authorities whose administrative areas the route traverses.

Mary McAleese lived at Dunshaughlin, Co Meath, for many years while working as an academic and journalist in Dublin, prior to the family's move back to Belfast.

Cllr Niamh McGowan, Cathaoirleach, Meath County Council, said: “As President for 14 years, Mrs McAleese served this country with real distinction in the public arena and also worked tirelessly behind the scenes with her husband, Dr Martin McAleese, to advance the cause of peace on this island. As time passes, it can be easy to lose sight of the transformation we have seen in community relations but that did not come about by accident. While the journey continues, we owe the McAleeses and many others a debt of gratitude for their work towards a lasting peace.