Two years and two days after the President, Mrs McAleese, officiated at the keel-laying ceremony of the Famine-era replica ship, the Jeanie Johnston, she returned to Co Kerry to launch the wooden sailing vessel.
In Fenit yesterday, about 3,000 people watched the launch of the triple-masted boat in the north Kerry harbour after six years of effort by the organisers.
Mrs McAleese, the project's patron, said it had begun as an idea and a blank sheet of paper. The project was now "a potent symbol of cross-Border, cross-community and transnational co-operation". The Jeanie Johnston had been dubbed the "ship of peace", she said. Among the guests was the leader of the Progressive Unionist Party, Mr David Irvine, who said that although the ship would survive if there was not peace in the North, the vessel's concept would not. The ceremony was attended by the US ambassador, Mr Michael J. Sullivan, and the Canadian ambassador, Mr Ron Irwin. Also in attendance were the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Ms de Valera, Mr Sean Farren of the SDLP, the GOC of the 1st Southern Command, Brig Gen David Taylor, and the Assistant Garda Commissioner, Mr Joe Long.
The Jeanie Johnston was blessed yesterday by the Church of Ireland Bishop of Limerick, Bishop Edward Darling, Canon Robert Warren, also of the Church of Ireland, and the Catholic Dean of the Kerry Diocese, Monsignor Dan O'Riordan.
The skipper of the Jeanie Johnston, Capt Michael Forwood, said the vessel would be due for a "shake-down voyage" to Cork shortly, before embarking on its US voyage later this month.
The original Jeanie Johnston was a cargo ship built in Quebec City in 1847 for a Tralee shipping family. It was later converted to carry 220 passengers from Ireland to Canada and the US. It sank in 1858 but all on board were rescued.