Today is Wednesday but it’s no ordinary Wednesday. On this day in 1941, a very special man was born, a man that would go on to become our wonderful President - the one and only Michael D Higgins.
Ian decided it would be nice to send him a little token from the show to mark the day and so, at 7.30am this morning, I set off, with a very specific mission – to source a birthday cake and deliver it to Áras an Uachtaráin before 9am. No pressure!
Happy Birthday Michael D! @PresidentIRL
We've set @grandantor the challenge of getting a birthday cake up to the Aras before 9 o clock! Updates throughout the show as we get them. 🎂 pic.twitter.com/9n5FU0CquY— Ian Dempsey (@IanDempsey) April 18, 2018
I lashed on the make-up (in case I was invited in for breakfast like), threw on my coat and hit the road, promising Ian that I would keep in touch. I jumped into a cab and headed straight for Drumcondra, channelling my inner Anneka Rice.
First stop was the legendary Thunders Bakery on Drumcondra Road, where Sinead sorted me out with a gorgeous cake, one fit for a president! It even had his face on it – I mean, how could he say no to that?!
My taxi driver Stephen thought I had lost the plot when I told him that the next stop was Áras an Uachtaráin but, he didn’t ask any questions and off we went. I hadn’t got a breeze what I was going to do when I actually reached my destination but I wasn’t going to let uncertainty slow me down!
As we approached Áras an Uachtaráin, I bid farewell to Stephen the taxi driver and marched up to the gates, where I was greeted by two lovely guards. I explained myself and even had to show them my Instagram story to prove that I was who I said I was. They said they ‘had to make a few phone calls’ and that they’d be back to me. I was so excited. This was my big shot – I visualised myself shaking hands with Michael D, sitting around the table laughing, shooting the breeze with himself and Sabina, eating cake for breakfast.
Unfortunately, this is where my Michael D daydream comes to an end. The guards appeared back with a message from the Press Office - whilst they were touched by the gesture, they couldn’t accept the cake. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
However, don’t despair because this story has a happy ending – I had cake for my breakfast!
Listen to the adventure unfold by pressing play in the image above the headline at the top of the page.
