Bertie Officially Resigns From Office

Joins With Paisley To Open Boyne Visitors Centre As Final Act In Office

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern delivered his resignation letter to President Mary McAleese at her official Dublin residence on Tuesday evening, ending his 11 years in office.

He will be succeeded by Finance Minister Brian Cowen on Wednesday when the Dáil meets to elect the new Taoiseach.

The 56-year-old Dublin Central T.D. announced his plans to resign last month after coming under intense political pressure after giving evidence to the Mahon Tribunal regarding payments he received from several businessmen in the 1990s.

Paisley And Ahern Open Boyne Site

Joining the outgoing Taoiseach at the opening of the Boyne Visitors Centre, the Northern First Minister, Rt. Hon Dr Ian Paisley MP, MLA said that the Irish people have a solemn responsibility to make and sustain peace through mutual respect for others.

"I believe that we should live in peace and I want to see the principle of mutual respect triumph. The opening of this centre today is tangible evidence of a greater understanding and respect between out two cultures," he said.

"Mutual respect means that you are free to try to convert me to your way and I am free to try to convert you to my way, but only by way of argument, not arms. The power of true christianity is in the power of declaration, not by the power of destruction."

"There can be no turning back to the bad old days. The killing times must end for ever and no tolerance must be given to those who advocate their return. A strong dedication to peace and an intolerance of murder must drive us forward," he continued.

"There must be an end of all atrocities and the building of the ways of peace. The coming generation has a right to demand this from us. We must not fail them."

Paisley and Ahern also toured the centre before presenting the management with a copy of the King James' Bible, New Testament, printed 77 years after the Boyne battle.

Reshuffle Expected

Taoiseach-elect Brian Cowen is expected shake-up the cabinet when he assumes the office.

According to reports in the Irish Independent, he is expected to do more than simply fill the Finance Minister position that he is vacating.

Enterprise Trade and Employment Michael Martin is reported to be the favourite to take over Cohen's former office, though rumors persist that the job could be given to Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern.