The ceremony that will see Mary McAleese become President of Ireland will have a more informal and inclusive tone.
The presidential inauguration, the eleventh in the history of the Irish state, was marked by the lack of formality, and the inclusion of children.
Final preparations at Dublin Castle include a Garda security check and members of the Defence Forces got ready to pay tribute to their new commander in chief.
In a break from tradition, guests were not required to wear formal attire.
Former president Mary Robinson who is now United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights arrives from New York, and another guest is the Fine Gael presidential candidate Mary Banotti who pays a warm tribute to the president elect.
Professor Mary McAleese and her husband Martin who had been staying in a Portmarnock hotel for the past ten days travelled to the city centre in the presidential Rolls Royce, with an escort of honour from the Second Cavalry Squadron, Cathal Brugha Barracks.
After the ceremony, President Mary McAleese inspects the guard of honor, drawn from the 50th Infantry Battalion. The crowds of well wishers at Dublin Castle including many schoolchildren and young people, were delighted with the presidential walkabout that followed.
A formal welcome at Áras an Uachtaráin and lunch for invited guests was next on the agenda. The three McAleese children received instructions about how to let themselves in and out of their new home.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 11 November 1997. The reporter is David McCullagh.
