Editing Patrick Hillery (section)

===The fake "sex scandal" during the papal visit===
Though once voted the world's sexiest head of state by readers of the German ''[[Der Spiegel]]'' magazine,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/ga/debates/debate/seanad/2008-04-15/2/ |title=Seanad Éireann díospóireacht – Tuesday, 15 Apr 2008 |author=[[Déirdre de Búrca]] |date= |website=Oireachtas.ie |publisher= |access-date=15 December 2022 |quote=[[Déirdre de Búrca]]: On a lighter note, the former President Hillery was once voted the world's sexiest Head of State by readers of the German magazine, Der Spiegel. I believe it is important to remember this also.}}</ref> few expected Hillery to become embroiled in a [[sex scandal]] as president.<ref>{{cite news |last= |first= |date=23 May 2007 |title=Hillery knows who was behind sex tales |url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/hillery-knows-who-was-behind-sex-tales-26292489.html |work=[[The Irish Independent]] |location= |access-date=15 December 2022}}</ref> Yet, one occurred in September 1979, when the international press corps, travelling to Ireland for the visit of [[Pope John Paul II]], told their Irish colleagues that Europe was "awash" with rumours that Hillery had a mistress living with him in [[Áras an Uachtaráin]] (the presidential residence), that he and his wife were divorcing and he was considering resigning from the presidency.<ref name="DIB">{{cite web |url=https://www.dib.ie/biography/hillery-patrick-john-a9635 |title=Hillery, Patrick John |last=Maume |first=Patrick |date=June 2014 |website=[[Dictionary of Irish Biography]] |publisher= |access-date=15 December 2022 |quote=}}</ref><ref name="Haughey behind smear Indo"/> However, the story was untrue. Once the Pope had left, Hillery held a press conference where he told a shocked nation that there was no mistress, no divorce and no resignation.<ref name="Haughey behind smear Indo"/><ref name="hilleryp"/> In reality, few people had even heard of the rumours. Critics questioned why he chose to comment on a rumour that few outside media and political circles had heard. Hillery, however, defended his action by saying that it was important to kill off the story for the good of the presidency, rather than allow the rumour to circulate and be accepted as fact in the absence of a denial. In that, he was supported by the then Taoiseach, Jack Lynch, whom he consulted before making the decision, he also got the support of [[Leader of the Opposition (Ireland)|Leader of the Opposition]], [[Garret FitzGerald]], of Fine Gael and [[Frank Cluskey]], of the Labour Party. In 2008, Historian John Walsh claimed that within Irish political circles, the source of the rumours about Hillery was widely believed to have been planted by the leader of Fianna Fáil [[Charles Haughey]], who was attempting to force Hillery to resign from office.<ref name="Haughey behind smear Indo">{{cite news |last= |first= |date=13 December 2008 |title=Haughey blamed for sex smear against Hillery |url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/haughey-blamed-for-sex-smear-against-hillery-26499151.html |work=[[The Irish Independent]] |location= |access-date=15 December 2022}}</ref>

Hillery also hit the headlines when, on the advice of then Taoiseach, Charles Haughey, he declined [[Queen Elizabeth II]]'s invitation to attend the wedding of [[Prince Charles]] and [[Lady Diana Spencer]] in 1981.