UP UNTIL 2004, the chair used for the Irish presidential inauguration was the Viceregal Throne.

It was made in the late 19th Century for the British crown’s representative in Ireland, the Viceroy or Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.

In 1938, Douglas Hyde became the first president of Ireland and his inauguration chair was the Viceregal Throne, minus the crown on top.

It also replaced the initials ‘VR’ (Victoria Regina) for the Irish harp. 

The Viceregal Throne used from 1938 until Mary McAleese's second inauguration in 2004 President of Ireland President of Ireland

And so it was until 2004 that every Irish president sat on the adapted Viceregal Throne during their inauguration in Dublin Castle.

It was retired after Mary McAleese’s second inauguration and in the months leading up to the election of President Michael D Higgins in 2011, the Office of Public Works (OPW) sought a new chair. 

A tender was put out to design the new presidential inauguration chair and the requirements required a lot of thought and deliberation.

The new chair had to be presidential rather than regal.

It also had to be of a “style and scale to reflect the dignity of the office, without being overwhelming or dominating”.

The OPW also sought a chair that would be of “sufficient timeless design and character to be suitable for use in many future inaugurations”.

The tender also called for “sufficient intrinsic artistic quality and craftsmanship to make it suitable for permanent exhibition”. 

John Lee's presidential inauguration chair, which was used for the first time for President Higgins's inauguration in 2011 John Lee John Lee

In the end, it was John Lee, of John Lee Furniture in Co Meath, who won the tender.

He said the new chair “represented a break with our colonial past”.

The most prominent feature of his design is what he described as the “free flowing arms which dynamically link the entire piece”. 

President Michael D Higgins for the inauguration chair's debut in 2011 Photocall Ireland Photocall Ireland

He said this was inspired by the Irish saying “Céad Míle Fáilte” (a hundred thousand welcomes), with the “outstretched and welcoming arms of the chair reflecting the ambassadorial role of the President”. 

Lee added that the “clean and crisp lines, elegant proportions and timeless design are a reflection of the dignity of the Office of the President without being overwhelming or dominating”.

President Catherine Connolly in the inauguration chair this afternoon RollingNews.ie RollingNews.ie

Meanwhile, Lee thanked President Higgins for his “fantastic support and promotion of Irish arts, craft and design during his tenure”.