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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Ahern meets Paisley on final day | Ahern meets Paisley on final day |
| (19 minutes later) | |
| Bertie Ahern is to officially tender his resignation later as Taoiseach, a job he has held since 1997. | Bertie Ahern is to officially tender his resignation later as Taoiseach, a job he has held since 1997. |
| Mr Ahern announced last month he would be stepping down, as pressure on him mounted while a tribunal investigated his personal finances. | Mr Ahern announced last month he would be stepping down, as pressure on him mounted while a tribunal investigated his personal finances. |
| Brian Cowen will succeeded him as Irish premier and Fianna Fáil leader. | Brian Cowen will succeeded him as Irish premier and Fianna Fáil leader. |
| Mr Ahern will begin the day by jointly opening with outgoing NI first minister Ian Paisley a 25m euro Battle of the Boyne restoration project. | Mr Ahern will begin the day by jointly opening with outgoing NI first minister Ian Paisley a 25m euro Battle of the Boyne restoration project. |
| When Mr Paisley arrived, he was greeted with a round of applause as a band played the Blue Danube. | When Mr Paisley arrived, he was greeted with a round of applause as a band played the Blue Danube. |
| He shook hands with several of the guests, including former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, former SDLP leader John Hume and a number of Irish government ministers. | He shook hands with several of the guests, including former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, former SDLP leader John Hume and a number of Irish government ministers. |
| Several senior orangemen are also attending the event. | Several senior orangemen are also attending the event. |
| The Protestant King William III defeated the Catholic King James II at the County Louth site in 1690 - something celebrated every 12 July at Orange Order parades across Northern Ireland. | The Protestant King William III defeated the Catholic King James II at the County Louth site in 1690 - something celebrated every 12 July at Orange Order parades across Northern Ireland. |
| Symbolic ceremony | Symbolic ceremony |
| After attending the symbolic ceremony with Mr Paisley, who is also stepping down this month as Northern Ireland's first minister, Mr Ahern will head back to Dublin where he will return his seal of office to President McAleese at Ãras an Uachtaráin, her official residence in Phoenix Park. | After attending the symbolic ceremony with Mr Paisley, who is also stepping down this month as Northern Ireland's first minister, Mr Ahern will head back to Dublin where he will return his seal of office to President McAleese at Ãras an Uachtaráin, her official residence in Phoenix Park. |
| His successor as Republic of Ireland premier and Fianna Fáil leader, Brian Cowen, takes over on Wednesday when he will be nominated in the Dáil to the Office of the Taoiseach. | His successor as Republic of Ireland premier and Fianna Fáil leader, Brian Cowen, takes over on Wednesday when he will be nominated in the Dáil to the Office of the Taoiseach. |
| Mr Ahern, 56, has been Taoiseach since June 1997 and has been a member of the Irish Parliament for 31 years. | Mr Ahern, 56, has been Taoiseach since June 1997 and has been a member of the Irish Parliament for 31 years. |
| He announced he would be stepping down on 2 April, amid mounting pressure as a public inquiry investigating planning corruption in the 1990s questioned him about his personal finances. | He announced he would be stepping down on 2 April, amid mounting pressure as a public inquiry investigating planning corruption in the 1990s questioned him about his personal finances. |
| Mr Ahern said he had not done anything wrong, but was quitting because he did not want the constant focus on his finances to affect his Fianna Fáil party. | Mr Ahern said he had not done anything wrong, but was quitting because he did not want the constant focus on his finances to affect his Fianna Fáil party. |