Editing President of Ireland (section)

==Security and transport==
[[File:Seán T. O'Kelly being escorted to his inauguration as President of Ireland in 1945.jpg|thumb|The Inauguration of Seán T. O'Kelly in 1945. The 2nd Cavalry Squadron of the [[Blue Hussars]] escort the president, who travelled in the late [[Alexandra of Denmark|Queen Alexandra]]'s [[Landau (automobile)|landau]]. The Landau and the Hussars were later scrapped.]]
As head of state of Ireland, the president receives the highest level of protection in the state. Áras an Uachtaráin is protected by armed guards from the [[Garda Síochána]] and [[Defence Forces (Ireland)|Defence Forces]] at all times, and is encircled by security fencing and intrusion detection systems. At all times the president travels with an armed security detail in Ireland and overseas, which is provided by the [[Special Detective Unit]] (SDU), an elite wing of the Irish police force. Protection is increased if there is a known threat. The presidential limousine is a [[Mercedes-Benz S-Class]] LWB. The Presidential Limousine is dark navy blue and carries the presidential standard on the left front wing and the [[Flag of Ireland|tricolour]] on the right front wing. When travelling the presidential limousine is always accompanied by support cars (normally [[BMW 5 Series]], [[Audi A6]] and [[Volvo S60]] driven by trained drivers from the SDU) and several Garda motorcycle outriders from the [[Garda Traffic Corps]] which form a protective convoy around the car.

The president-elect is usually escorted to and from the ceremony by the Presidential Motorcycle Escort ceremonial outriders. Until 1947 they were a [[cavalry]] mounted escort, wearing light blue hussar-style uniforms. However to save money the first Inter-Party Government replaced the Irish horses by Japanese motorbikes, which the then Minister for Defence believed would be "much more impressive".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263692786_The_Prehistory_of_the_Irish_Presidency |title=The Prehistory of the Irish Presidency |doi=10.1080/07907184.2012.734447}}</ref>

At the presidential inauguration in 1945, alongside the mounted escort on horseback, president-elect [[Seán T. O'Kelly]] rode in the old state landau of [[Alexandra of Denmark|Queen Alexandra]]. The use of the [[state carriage]] was highly popular with crowds. However an accident with a later presidential carriage at the [[Royal Dublin Society]] [[Horse show]] led to the abolition of the carriage and its replacement by a [[Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith]] in 1947. The distinctive [[Presidential State Car (Ireland)|1947 Rolls-Royce]] is still used to bring the president to and from the inauguration today.

The [[Presidential State Car (Ireland)|Presidential State Car]] is a 1947 [[Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith]] [[Landaulet (car)|landaulet]]te, which is used only for ceremonial occasions.

The president also has the full use of all [[Air Corps (Ireland)|Irish Air Corps]] aircraft at his/her disposal if so needed, including helicopters and private jets.