THE unseemly diplomatic row between the President Mrs Robin son, and the Taoiseach over who should be the first to greet visiting heads of state or government at last week's EU summit was portrayed by some as "The War of the Presidents she of Ireland and he of Europe. It was resolved by Mrs Robinson doing the honours first with John Bruton and Dick Spring two steps behind. Apparently Mr Bruton believed the limelight should be his, on the precedent of the last EU summit in Dublin, in 1990, when the then President, Dr Hillery, did nothing to spoil Taoiseach C.J. Haughey's show. There was no question of him insisting on being the Primps Inter pares.
Normally, hut not lately, the city's first citizen takes precedence over all dignitaries, domestic or foreign, and on that occasion the EU heads were greeted first by the Cord Mayor of Dublin. It helped, of course, that this office was held at that time by Sean Haughey, the Taoiseach's son.
