President Mary McAleese today unveiled a monument to mark the 400th anniversary of the Flight of the Earls.
The John Behan sculpture commemorates the leaving of 99 of Ulster's Gaelic aristocracy from Rathmullan, Co Donegal.
Featuring three men with their arms stretched in the air walking a gangplank, the bronze statue represents the plight of the men who were led by Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, and Rory O'Donnell, Earl of Tyrconnell, at midday on September 14, 1607.
"It is a pleasure to be here on this day, to mark a key and cathartic episode in our island's history," said Mrs McAleese at Rathmullan. "Even today we struggle to fully comprehend the downstream consequences of the loss, the driving out of our great native leaders.
"It has been a long and harsh scattering for most of these 400 years, but now we gather the memories of all those who left our shores whether through military force or economic deprivation," she said.
After the commemoration, President McAleese departed on a two-day official visit to the Channel Islands to promote relations with the islands of Jersey and Guernsey.