La Herradura had a famous visitor at the end of December. Although the event went largely unnoticed, the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, dropped in one Sunday to enjoy some afternoon sunshine and a bite to eat.
Joaquin at Chamboa de Joaquin has been a busy man lately, with his spectacular annual charity paella event in Almuñécar, and prior to that, where did Ms. McAleese and her entourage decide to enjoy a view of the bay and a bit of Spanish nosh? You’ve guessed it!
The President definitely had the ‘luck of the Irish’ when it came to the weather, as she picked the one sunny afternoon, without any rain in around a month, as she dined with her husband and several friends on Tropical Salad and Paella. When I say several friends, the whole group, including security numbered 30.
Joaquin told me that the president spoke excellent Spanish and was very pleased with her meal and the service, which was reflected in the tip left by the group.
We understand Ms. McAleese and her husband had been enjoying a holiday at an undisclosed address in La Alpujarra and decided a trip to the coast on such a lovely afternoon was in order.
Mary Patricia McAleese was born in Northern Ireland in 1951, and is a qualified lawyer and journalist, and was the first Catholic Vice Provost of Queens University in Belfast. She was the Fianna Fáil candidate for President of the Republic in 1997, and on 30th October of that year she won with 45.2% of the vote.
The Presidency is a largely symbolic role and in 2004 there were no other candidates willing to even stand against her, so Ms. McAleese resumed her post without there even being an election.