I'VE chosen President Mary McAleese as my hero, because I love strong women who have succeeded in a very quiet way, rather than those who continually mouth off. Mary McAleese succeeds in getting her message across in a very calm way, and she's a very intelligent, strong woman who is capable of crossing divides and bringing communities together.

I've met her on a number of occasions, and her memory astounded me each time. I think the first time I ever met her was at the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest in the Point. I watched her behaviour as people approached her, and really admired how she greeted them and spoke to them, regardless of who they were or what age or type of person they were - it really didn't matter to her. There are no airs and graces about her, and she talked about completely ordinary things.

I think President McAleese behaves in such a dignified way. She shows a great sense of style and fashion, and is always very appropriately dressed. I hadn't really been following her career until she put forward her intention to run for the presidency, although I knew she worked in RT�?, but I didn't know her in those days. I did vote for her, and I have to be honest about that because she really impressed me. I watched her on the Late Late Showwith the other candidates and I liked her attitude.

She's very academic, and that comes across in the fact that she has several languages, but when she meets people she just talks about ordinary things. I had a good feeling about her, and I consider myself to be a very intuitive person, because she just ticked all of the boxes as far as I was concerned.

President McAleese's predecessor, Mary Robinson, was another very strong woman that I had a lot of respect for, so they were big shoes that Mary McAleese had to step into, but she did it in a beautifully quiet, understated, dignified way, and I think that's her secret to success actually, because she seems to tackle everything in this same way. Now of course, maybe at home, behind closed doors, her poor old husband Martin gets the head eaten off him, but certainly in her public life I just think she's wonderful.

The President is from the north of Ireland, so, being a fellow countryman, I suppose that would have to come into it for me. I think it's wonderful someone from the north could become president in the south. She announced in 1998 that she was going to officially celebrate 12 July as well as St Patrick's day because she wanted to recognise the importance of the day to Ulster Protestants, and that shows her crossing the divide again, and trying to accommodate every camp. It shows she didn't want to exclude anyone, taking into consideration that both communities are entitled to celebrate in whatever way they want. She really does manage to cross borders and build bridges.

There's a lady in her late 70s called Lily Farrell who's a dear friend of mine, and it came up accidentally in a conversation that her one remaining wish was to meet President McAleese, because she felt that she had done so much for the country and for the people. It so happened that I was talking to the President shortly afterwards, and told her about my friend, and the next thing I knew Lily and I had invitations issued to us to come to Áras an Uachtaráin for the Christmas Carol Service.

The President greeted Lily as if she'd known her for years, and had her picture taken with her and all of that kind of thing and, as Lily said, if she had won the Lotto, it wouldn't have meant as much to her.

What she has is the common touch that people like Gay Byrne have, which is an ability to Icommunicate with people from all sorts of life, from the biggest superstar to the most ordinary person. Very few people have the common touch, but the President has it, and there's something special about her and the way that she touches people.

I also love the way she has this home life that appears to be so secure, stable and supportive. She's a mother too, and she has a lovely family, and I have to say that Martin has always been the ultimate gentleman any time I've been in his company. Her family is very important to her, which I can identify with. I remember her taking one of the kids to school at one point some years ago, and security nearly having a heart attack at the President getting in the car and doing the school run. I suspect she would still do things like that if she could, but security wouldn't allow it.

The level of celebrity that she has is way, way, way greater than anything I ever achieved, and I don't know how she manages to balance all her roles - the family role, the ordinary person, and the person that the world sees. And let's be honest about it, it's not just Ireland but the whole world who looks at her when she's out and about. I just think she's so well-balanced and clued-in and capable that she manages to do it all, and I have never heard anything that suggests anything to the contrary. She's a real role model for anyone trying to get into that kind of public life.