The President, Mrs McAleese, began her first official visit to London yesterday with a trip to an exhibition entitled "From Wagons to Trailers" at the Grange Museum in Neasden, north-west London, which celebrates the life of the Irish travelling community.
From the moment Mrs McAleese walked through the doors of the museum, out came the cameras and notepads as members of the travelling community strained to catch a glimpse or have a quick word as she was led around an exhibition of photographs depicting life in a barreltop caravan and the modern-day trailer.
Pausing to watch a short play, Just Like You, by a group of girls from the Convent of Jesus and Mary in Willesden, Mrs McAleese heard what it was like to be a traveller. Bridget McDonagh (13) described "how bad you feel, sad and lonely" when other children at school teased her and told her she was dirty.
Sarah Corcoran (13) wanted to tell the President that travellers were the same as everyone else and that the life of a traveller was "great fun. We can just get up and leave whenever we want to. We can go on holiday when we want to".
After the performance, Mrs McAleese took up the theme of children as victims in society. She said some parents were "not careful" and filled their children's heads with hatred. Children were subjected to these values even by "good mammies and daddies".
It was important that children were made aware of their "joyful diversity" and "rich history" rather than being burdened with the problems of sectarianism so often experienced in Ireland and the racial discrimination directed against minority groups in Britain.
Last night Mrs McAleese, accompanied by her husband, Dr Martin McAleese, the Irish Ambassador to Britain, Mr Edward Barrington, and Mrs Claire Barrington attended a performance of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie at London's Royal National Theatre.
Today the President will attend a business breakfast held by Enterprise Ireland and will meet members of the Federation of Irish Societies, the Irish Youth Foundation and the Action Group for Irish Youth.