At a crowded press conference at the launch of her presidential campaign, Prof Mary McAleese said some unionists would respond to her nomination in a way that has been "taught from the cradle to many of us in Northern Ireland" - with fear and suspicion. However, the unionist community was "not monolithic" and many others would support her, she said.
Refusing to describe the phenomenon of resentment as "bigotry", she told reporters such a response came from a deeprooted suspicion. In a "conflict community", if a Catholic got a job - particularly a high-level position - there were those who felt they had "lost something". She was "very familiar and very patient" with this situation because she understood its origins.
"In a conflict community, people see themselves either as winners or as losers. But I have received literally a mountain of correspondence and phone calls from right across the unionist spectrum, from right into the heart of the Ulster Unionist Party, telling me how delighted they are and wishing me well in this candidacy", she added.
This characterisation of resentment - written about yesterday by Irish Times columnist Mary Holland - was "one characterisation, offered by one journalist", she said. There would be "many, many more" and it was so wrong, she said, to pigeonhole on the basis of one or a couple of opinions.
Precisely because she came from the Catholic and nationalist tradition and because she lived for such a long time in Northern Ireland, when she would reach out a simple hand of friendship as President, there would be those in the unionist community who would appreciate and value "the bridge" she would offer.
Her offer was to demolish the language of fear, suspicion and contempt. She was aware that there would be some among the unionist community who would be "very sensitive". She would respond to that sensitivity with "great patience and affection and that love I spoke of".
Asked about her views on changes to the Constitution, she said that if she had any, "if I had laws that I wished to change", she would not be running for the Presidency. "I would have stood for the last election to the Dail and perhaps some of the people sitting down there (members of Fianna Fail) would be up here now," she said. The role of changing the Constitution rested with the people and the lawmakers were in the Oireachtas. The Presidency was "very importantly, above politics", she added.
Asked why people in this State should vote for a Northerner, Prof McAleese said she hoped the electorate would see her quite simply, as she saw herself - as an Irishwoman.