Ruth Coppinger waits to take a photo with President Catherine Connolly after her inauguration. Photograph: Ruth Coppinger/X

Jesus, Mary and Holy St Parrott.

Some week.

A new president is inaugurated in a higgeldy-piggeldy-miggedly ceremony at Dublin Castle which ends up with more noses out of joint than a retirement home for professional boxers.

Then the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and an array of ministers do a big photo op in a place they wouldn’t normally visit in a fit to launch yet another all-action housing action plan on a beaten-down and sceptical public.

Build it and they will come, says the Government.

Believe it when we see it, says everyone else.

And then, on Thursday night, Troy Parrott – from another place in Dublin’s inner city that the big wigs wouldn’t visit in a fit unless they had to – scores two glorious goals to seal a famous victory for the Republic of Ireland over Ronaldo’s Portugal.

But the big political event was Catherine Connolly’s inauguration.

We all love a good dollop and pomp and ceremony. Every seven years, Uachtarán na hÉireann provides it.

Seven years – that’s how long the powers-that-be had to plan Tuesday’s big bunfight.

[ After their grand day out at Dublin Castle, TDs were rolling in the aisles in DáilOpens in new window ]

It was a good inauguration.

But it wasn’t a great inauguration.

International incident

The venue was too small.

Although the organisers can’t be blamed for that – St Patrick’s Hall is a splendiferous space and perfect f